Katara: The Little Waterbender Act 1
by Wrathofbalance2
Summary: The story of adventure, romance, trust, and friendship. Join Katara as she and her friends reach impossible feats in order to fufill the wish she longs to enjoy!  So come in, come into the world of, The Little Waterbender!
1. The Prologue

The Little Waterbender Revision

At sea, a ship is forging a path through great waves to places where one forgets oneself. Its course is uncertain, but the crew is merry with high spirits. The melodies of sea shanties ring from their lungs. Their eyes glimmered with the lust for romance and adventure. They go to places far from the briny shore they one knew, with a cheerful wind charting the way.

Amidst all this cheer and laughter was a young prince staring off into the distance. He was sour, and unsatisfied with his life. He had hoped that a trip to sea would kindle his fretful sprit and relieve him of his stress. Still, the lingering thoughts of duty only beret him with more anguish, and the songs of the sailors only reminded him of how different he was.

_**I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue,**_

_**And it's hey to the starboard heave ho!**_

_**Great sailor beware cause a biggun's a brewing.**_

_**In Mysterious Fathoms Below!**_

_**In those great deeps Below!**_

_**We know!**_

_**Where once wayward westerlies blow!**_

_**Where the merpeople sing.**_

_**In the blue hear them ring,**_

_**In mysterious fathoms below!**_

__"Hogwash and children stories!" The prince's right eye flicked with annoyance while the eye to his left kept a motionless expression that never changed. For on his left eye bore a great scar around it, absorbing half his face.

"Come now Prince Zuko," said an old man walking towards the young prince. "That's no way to be on your birthday." The man, stood out as a complete opposite of the rash prince. His eyes were relaxed and his face widened with a smile. His stomach protruded outwards and stretched out his clothing.

"I cannot help it Uncle Iroh! How can I relax? When I have this nautical nonsense of merpeople ringing in my ears!"

"Ahoy," cried a sailor mopping the deck. "Don't be acting as if ye be ashore lad. The marine is a dream beyond anything ya seen on land. It be the domain of the great Queen Kya!"

"Kya?" Zuko's eyebrow raised itself high in defiance and skepticism.

"She be the ruler of the merfolk and the order of the sea, you young mustang! Tell 'im boys!"

_**I'll sing you a song of the queen of the Sea,**_

_**And it's hey to the starboard heave ho!**_

_**The ruler of all of the oceans is she, **_

_**in mysterious fathoms below.**_

_**It's where she makes it all**_

_**beckon to her call.**_

_**The winds to lead.**_

_**The geysers' heat.**_

_**The earth to feed.**_

_**The waves to beat.**_

_**Heave Ho, Fathoms Below!**_

Zuko was unconvinced, the story seemed too farfetched for him to grasp. "Bah, this Kya is nothing more than a sailor's farce lies!"

"Don't ever say that lad," growled the sailor. "Unless ye want to suffer..."

_**Sailor: The Queen of the Ocean gets angry,**_

_**and when she is angry beware.**_

_**I'm telling ya lad,**_

_**when Queen Kya is mad.**_

_**How the waves will rock!**_

_**Rock to and fro!**_

_**All: Hold on, good luck as down you'll go!**_

_**Straight to the endless bottom you see.**_

_**And it's hey to the starboard heave ho!**_

_**So watch your tongue or it's down for ye,**_

_**In mysterious fathoms below!**_

When the last note fell so too did a crack of lightning in the distance. A storm brewed far away from the ship, and was heading the opposite way of the ship. Its eerie presence seemed drawn the lyrics of the song. The storm passed away from sight soon enough, and everyone on deck of the ship breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ya see lad?", cried the sailor. "It ain't no nonsense, it's the truth! There's a whole world of merpeople under the sea."

One sailor cried, "Queen Kya's the ruler!"

Another one said, "She's got seven fair daughters."

But a final one said, "And an enemy named Azula."

That word had caught Zuko's ear, sending an unnatural shiver down his spine. "Azula?"

The yellow toothed sailor grinned and pointed out to the sea. "She's an ancient enemy of Kya who delved in forbidden magics. She lives down below, exiled from the kingdom of merfolk with her four minions, Mai, Flame, Spark, and Ty Lee. Now they wait, for the hour to strike, when Kya is at her most vulnerable, and should Azula take the crown for herself lad, we are all doomed..."

_**Sailor: Fathoms Below in the Ocean,  
>Lives Azula, witch of the Sea.<strong>_

_**She Plots,**_

_**she schemes,**_

_**and she wickedly dreams**_

_**of victory under the sea.**_

_**Her wrath is mighty.**_

_**Her foes, they tremble.**_

_**Her mind is haughty.**_

_**Herself, terrible!**_

_**And she waits, waits,**_

_**for the day that she'll return once more.**_

_**All: Return to rule the ocean floor!  
>She wants to be queen of the bottomless blue,<strong>_

_**And it's hey to the starboard heave ho!**_

_**So Kya beware, cause YOUR biggun's a brewing, **_

_**in Mysterious Fathoms Below!**_

As the ship sailed off, so too did the song die away, leaving nothing of its entrance, but the ripples on the waves.

Could such a world exist? A world under the ocean waves, where there are people with the torsos of human and the fins of fish? Could there be such a world that has laid hidden for so long, previously unexplored by mortal men?

As the sailor said, this is not land anymore. The rules have changed to match the mystery of the ocean. Abandon the perception of reality that controls everyday thought, and be transported to an adventure, under the sea and above the waves. A tale of friendship, love, and dreams is about to be witnessed , and it awaits its spectators.


	2. Misfit Princess

The Misfit Princess

The merfolk kingdom bore neither marker, nor flag, for it was the dominant empire if the sea. It needed no symbol to represent its glory. However, if there was such a symbol, it would be the Trident. A powerful tool forged by the great spirits containing the essences of all four elements, earth, wind, fire, and air. Through it, a wielder could channel all the elements within and bend them to their whim.

It was this mighty weapon that was passed among the royalty of the merfolk kingdom. It was their weapon of justice, that if ever passed to the wrong hands could mean the end of all. Queen Kya was the current guardian of this powerful creation, using it wisely. The Trident though, was not hers to bear.

The Trident had belonged to her mate, King Hakoda, long ago, until he had been mysteriously struck down. It was then that Kya would take possession of the Trident until the day she was succeeded by her oldest son, Sokka. Until that day, she would spend her days in the palace attending to royal duties. Today though, was a special day.

Today was the day of a grand celebration. The Starlight Festival was the name. It was the time when the stars shone so bright in the sky that they would create the most wonderful beams in the water. It was a time celebrated by all merfolk, young and old and hailed as the most beautiful thing in existence.

Before the Starlight Festival there was to be a grand concert to start it off. Queen Kya had staged for it to be in the main hall of her coral palace. She had hoped that it would signal great things to come and mark glory to her kingdom. However, something happened that she hadn't expected.

It was in the confines of the palace that conflict was brewing. Screaming could be heard erupting from the rehearsal room where the daughters of Kya were getting some last minute practice for the concert. However, there was a slight problem.

"WHY! WHY! WHY! WHY!", screamed a young darkened merman as he crashed his head to a pillar.

He was very upset right now because things were not going the way he wanted them to. This was understandable, as he was Sokka, son of Kya, and the royal composer. He always loved to create innovation, but what he loved the most was to create music.

He always grabbed at a chance to display his skills, whether it was politics or music. These opportunities came rarely though, despite his desperation. However, the times he did get to perform were very good. The problem though, is they could only be, "very good", this was due to his younger sister Katara.

She almost never showed up to rehearsals, which often left her stuttering during performances. She had an incredible voice though, and Sokka knew that to write her out was folly. To compensate for this forgetfulness he often let her perform vocalized, but that didn't stop her from missing performances which was more frequent than Sokka cared for.

Today was a very big day for him though. This concert was being performed to the entire kingdom, and expectations were high. The problem though, was that Katara wasn't in the palace, and she was the soloist.

"Why am I cursed to have a sister who not only fails to arrives to rehearsals but also fails to arrive on the biggest day of my bloody career? It doesn't help that she's the soloist!"

"Sokka you should try to calm down.", spoke one of his sisters.

"Calm down? How can I calm down? Now we have to cancel the concert! I am going to be considered a laughing stock for being unable to control one girl! Not to mention how mom will react when she finds that Katara is missing!"

A voice came from the doorway. "Katara is missing?"

The voice belonged to Queen Kya. She was a slender mermaid with a very tender but strong complexion. She was the vision of serenity and sternness. Her hair was short, in the normal fashion of many merfolk, so as not to get in the way of her vision.

She ruled with a steady hand, and a compassionate heart. She loved her subjects, and treated them well. Often aiming to balance her policies so as to please everyone. This method was very strenuous on her and had built up mass anxiety. She was prone to over-reacting to many situations, mostly those involving Katara. Recently however, she has done her best to mellow herself out and reason with her daughter. The results of this are a tad varied though.

Beside her was her faithful bodyguard, Match. He was the only one there with a pair of two legs and the ability to breathe without gills. He had short, raven-like hair, and a pair of dark glasses on his face.

He never spoke of where he had come from or why he had come to the kingdom. All he ever told people was that he was not human. This was a little hard to believe at first, because of his pale skin, but when he displayed the inane ability of generating mass amounts of heat and the visage under his glasses, most skepticism died away.

He stood by Kya as a counselor and a friend. No one knew why they were so friendly to one another, but some would say it was because of something that let them relate to one another.

Right now, Kya was about ready to faint, and Match was ready to catch her. She had not anticipated that such disaster could strike, but in all honesty it should've been a tad obvious.

Katara was nowhere to be found in the kingdom. She had left the borders a few hours back on an expedition of hers that started out as only an exercise until blowing up into a full on treasure hunt. She was not hunting for gold and jewels though; rather, young Katara was searching for human objects.

Katara was a dark skinned mermaid of 18 years of age. Her hair was long and beautiful, and her eyes glimmered like the ocean blue. She was kindhearted to others, and always there to offer a helping hand.

One of her greatest traits however, was her waterbending. She was an adept at the practice, and knew how to work with her skills.

Katara had always been fascinated with humans ever since she was a little girl. Less than humans though, was that Katara loved adventures. She always enjoyed the idea of exploring new things and seeing new places. Humans were another adventure to her, and probably the most mysterious one.

So whenever Katara got the chance, she would search the seas to find human objects, using her waterbending skills to help her, and today happened to be one of her expeditions.

She had just arrived in a ship graveyard bordering her kingdom with her three companions, Toph, Suki, and Lan.

Toph was the youngest of the group, but probably the most rash. Her skin was as pale as the moon, and her fins emerald green. She wore her hair in a bob, that she decorated with a plain headband.

She was very snarky and egotistical of her skills. This was because she was a master earthbender, a task that was not easily accomplished underwater. What's more was that she was born blind, making her ascension to a master earthbender all the more impressive.

Despite being blind, Toph was able to traverse the ocean like any normal merperson. This was because of her ability to ability to listen and feel for ripples in the ocean currents. Recently she had learned how to recognize certain ripples after dedicating herself to practicing.

Toph had been a good friend to Katara, and enjoyed adventuring with her. What she didn't like though, was that Katara sometimes treated her more like a child. Of course, that attitude eventually died with time, but always managed to linger around, much to Toph's chagrin.

Lan never revealed his age, but was a very tall man. He had pale skin and short blond hair. His face sported a ridiculous square nose that led to him being the butt of many jokes, (much to his ire).

He was appointed as Katara's bodyguard by Kya when Katara was in her early teens. Though he appreciated Katara as a friend he often found himself lagging behind, being that he was not a good swimmer. He did his best to keep her under control, but often went along with her on her adventures out of curiosity.

He was Match's brother and a very adept fighter. When underwater, a lot of his skills were lacking though. He could gather around electricity and bend it to his will, but because it was water he had to do extra work so that his electricity didn't spread out and hurt others. Still, he had grown very accomplished with fighting underwater after a few years of practice.

Despite these glaring weaknesses, Katara let Lan tag along, never shrugging him away or avoiding him. He was generally harmless anyways since he never reported anything bad to her mother. Still, he did worry for Katara a lot of times, and worried about the consequences that would befall him if something happened to her.

Suki was a youthful mermaid of 21. She had tanned skin and a very developed body. Her hair was short and brown, with a small bun to the back.

Now Suki has known Katara since she was just a baby. At that time she was still a trainee with the Kyoshi warriors. As time passed, Suki found herself interacting with Katara more and more, taking an older sister role. Now she was the Captain of the Kyoshi warriors.

The Kyoshi were an elite group of fighters dedicated to serving the crown of the merfolk kingdom. This granted them special privileges with whom they could interact with.

Their fighting style mostly dealt with hand to hand combat that utilized their entire bodies to fight. They took advantage of the freedom of water to reach high extents with their movements.

Suki was the captain because of her elite skills and incredible physical prowess. This also made her very ideal when dealing with Katara's adventures as she served as the strong arm of the group. However, that role had fallen when Lan joined and Toph began to develop her earthbending.

Katara had invited them all on this adventure earlier this week, and they all happily accepted. Of course, they had all forgotten that the concert was today, but the memory constantly nagged at them. They disregarded it though, concentrating on the prize.

Katara was holding onto the mast of a ship, looking out to the distance to see if she could spot a point of interest. Suki and Toph followed quickly after.

"Hold it Katara!" They turned around to find Lan struggling to swim over to them.

"Come on Lan, hurry up." cried Toph.

"Stuff it Toph," gasped Lan as he struggled. "I am not as good a swimmer as you three."

"Well then why did you come?"

"Because I am forced to or else I get a nasty scolding for not doing my job"

"Stop arguing you two and look," said Katara. "There it is!"

She pointed to a ship in the distance. She had been waiting for a new one to fall down in the ship graveyard for some time now. All the others had been explored prior to today and this one had only recently landed down there. This discovery had led Katara to become so enamored that she had completely forgotten that the concert was today.

Katara led the way towards the wreck while the others trailed behind her. They had elected that Toph and Suki would go inside with Katara, while Lan would stay outside to watch for sharks.

They found many open portholes that they could fit through. Each one was large enough for the girls to fit through, except for Suki. She was larger than both Katara and Toph, causing her to be wedged inside. Thanks to the pushing and pulling strength of the others though, she managed to make it inside with little trouble.

Once inside, the girls took to exploring the wreck. It appeared to have been sound internally, with little to no damage on the upper decks. Bodies were littered around the ship, bloated and expressionless. None of these sights disturbed the mermaids though; dead humans were common on their many expeditions.

Katara and Suki were searching feverously for any interesting human objects to collect, while Toph simply floated in place. Though she would help with expeditions, Toph was never fond of the collecting bit considering that she couldn't see the objects. However, Toph would often help in finding places that the girls couldn't normally reach thanks to her Earthbending skills. Since she was also able to bend metal -a task only a blind individual could accomplish- she could open ways that could be blocked.

These skills came in handy when the girls needed to reach the second floor of the ship. With a simple flick of her finger on the wall, Toph managed to cave in a hole in the ceiling.

"Great job Toph!" Katara cheered eagerly.

"Yes, you can shower me in praise later my adoring fans." Toph puffed up her chest with pride.

Suki grunted to herself and looked away from them. Little did those mermaids realize, that danger was not far ahead.

This area was known for its populace of sharks, one shark -Glut was his name- was happening to pass by the area, searching for his quickest meal. Glut had managed to overhear the laughing coming from the inside of one of the ships in the graveyard and had decided to investigate. Once he had gotten close enough to the ship, he was able to determine that there were three people inside the ship. Whether they were merfolk or not was no concern of his, he ate anything he could bite as long as it didn't threaten him.

As Glut maneuvered around the boat for a way inside, he managed to catch glimpse of Lan struggling to keep afloat in his area. Glut intended to eat him, but quickly decided not to. He was getting terrible vibes from Lan and did not feel as if it was worth the risk to challenge him. So he shifted his way past Lan -making sure to be unnoticed- and to the voices from inside the boat, eagerly licking his lips.

Back in the ship, Katara and the others had reached the second floor where the captain's quarters were. It was a room that seemed relatively untouched by damages with only some broken furniture and a cracked window. There Katara saw something that really caught her eye. It was a fork, shining in the midst of a wrecked table.

"Oh wow," said Katara with a gasp as she picked up the fork. "Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your life?"

Suki swam up and examined the fork with a grin that progressed to a confused frown. "That's great Katara, but what is it?"

"I don't know, but I bet Aang and Jet will." Katara then stuffed the fork into a bag she carried.

"I thought it looked perfect." Toph's little joke had both Suki and Katara giggling at the silliness.

They then took to exploring the rest of the room. Katara had found a pipe hidden under a broken desk and took to examining it with Suki. Toph simply wandered around the room with a bored expression, until she suddenly went straight. She felt as if something was wrong; there were extra ripples in the water coming from the area with the window. She swam over and began to see if she could sense where the ripples were coming from.

A large shape slowly moved upwards from the bottom of the window, but Toph couldn't tell what it was. She concentrated a little more and noticed that the ripples changed again. The shape was now moving one part of its body the same way a mouth would move.

Toph took a very wild guess of what the thing was and proceeded to swim out of the way. "Suki! Katara! Shark! Swim for it!"

Toph was correct with her guess, managing to avoid Glut's incoming mouth. He broke through the window and gave chase. Suki and Katara were shocked and did their best to swim away. Glut chased them around the quarters and made sure to block any of the exits using his incredible bulk.

Katara had attempted to use her Waterbending to swipe Glut away, but his speed deterred her from building up any powerful strikes leaving the girls trapped by the behemoth. Suki then noticed a rusted Ruan on the floor and grabbed it. When Glut made another charge at the girls she quickly threw the Ruan in the way of his incoming bite. This drastic trick worked; Glut bit down on the Ruan too fast and nearly choked on it.

Because of this distraction, the girls were able to make a quick escape from the quarters and back onto the deck. Glut wasn't about to let them get away that easily however. He used his girth to break through the metal floors and catch up to them. He nearly caught Suki in his mouth with this trick, but Katara and Toph pulled her back quickly enough to get her away. The girls then made way for the portholes where they came from, wondering why Lan wasn't helping.

Lan was not unaware of everything going on in the ship; he heard the girls' screams, but was unsure of what to do. He didn't know whether to go in and help the girls or wait for them to come outside. If he went inside the girls could be on their way out, but if he stayed outside it might've been too late for the them.

Thankfully, his procrastination had caused him to catch them trying to escape the ship. Suki had suddenly appeared beside him stuck in the porthole again. Not waiting for a request, Lan quickly helped pull Suki out. Soon Toph and Katara followed while Lan stayed behind to see where the shark would exit the ship.

As it so happened, Glut was powerful enough to break through the walls as well, and easily broke through the porthole only missing Lan because he was moving too fast to see him.

Lan managed to catch Glut by the tail before he could get away, but he soon found himself being dragged by the hulk. Glut didn't notice this though as he was so focused on his prey that he didn't have time to pay attention to anything else. This left Lan pretty much helpless as the speed Glut was moving was too fast for him to concentrate on using his powers.

As the girls swam for their lives, Toph noticed another ripple in the way that caught her attention. It was one similar to that of an underwater cliff, and if she was right then she had an idea.

"Katara, Suki! Do you guys see any cliffs below us?"

They girls looked down, but Suki was the first to answer. "Yes Toph, there'sone just below us!"

"Perfect! Follow me!"

Toph made a quick dive for the area where she was sure the cliff was and Katara and Suki followed after. Glut made a sharp turn to the right and down, with Lan holding on for dear life at this point.

Once at the cliff, Toph moved toward the side and put her hand on the chunk of rock. She then motioned Suki and Katara to come to her.

They were both nervous with Toph's decision, but were willing to trust her. They swam to her and waited for whatever would come next.

Toph then floated perfectly still, waiting for Glut to arrive. It took some effort for Glut to get back upright, but he managed it and made a mad charge towards the girls. He was now at top speed and ready to pounce.

Toph simply waited there motionless while Suki and Katara closed their eyes, waiting for the end. When Glut just a few inches away, Toph quickly moved her arms and fins in strict motions, bending a wall of earth in front of them. Needless to say, this worked, as Glut was moving too fast to stop himself, causing him to crash into the wall face first. He then floated downwards, now unconscious and with a broken set of teeth.

"Toph that was great!" Katara gave her a big hug; feeding her ego.

Even Suki couldn't help but be thankful. "Good job Toph."

Toph smiled as she absorbed the praise. "I know, I know, I am the greatest."

Suddenly, a squeak came from the other side of the wall. "A little help here please..."

The girls slowly moved to the other side to see Lan. He had slammed into the wall as well, getting his nose planted on the inside. The girls couldn't help but laugh at this silly sight but quickly pulled Lan out of the wall. He was very grateful for this and apologized for his carelessness.

Katara, being the kind soul she was, simply said, "It's alright Lan. What's important is that we're now safe. Come on guys, let's go show our treasures to Aang and Jet."

And with that, Katara and the others took to the surface, to have her new treasures indentified by the most knowledgeable people she knew.

**Thanks for watching folks; stay tuned next Friday for the second chapter! :)**


	3. Dark Eyes in the Water

Dark Eyes in the Water

Upon breaching the surface, Katara and her friends proceeded to make their way to Jet and Aang's Point. It was a small island recluse where two human hermits lived. Their names were Jet and Aang.

Aang was once an airbending monk, but he left his temple when he wanted to get away from the duties of being one. When he left the temple he brought along his two pets, a flying white lemur named Momo, and a flying white bison named Appa.

Aang commonly dressed in monk robes and carried a bo-staff with him; when in combination with his airbending techniques the staff allowed him to fly. His skin was adorned with blue streaks that led to an arrow on the top of his bald head.

Jet was a vigilante on the run. He dressed in rags and held two swords which he barely put to use anymore. He mostly lagged on the island while Aang would go flying around the ocean.

Their island was small, but comfortable for their needs. There was a lot of sand, a medium sized cave which they slept in, and a very large palm tree which they swore would grow blue bananas someday.

No one knew how they came to meet, but they enjoyed each other's company well enough. Despite being good friends though, they had a tendency to fight over petty things. They had also lost a lot of their sanity over the years due to their lack of exposure to civilization –the fact they drink seawater every now and then is also a factor- but they came off well enough.

Katara met them one day when she was on an adventure. When they proved harmless enough they became good friends with her. Afterwards, they offered to teach their, "leftover knowledge", of the human world. Most of the facts they gave her were wrong, but no one questioned them. They knew more than everyone else so there was no need to.

So, as Katara and her friends were making their way to Jet and Aang's Point, the two were in the middle of a very important task. They were counting clouds.

Aang was sitting on the top of the palm tree while Jet sat on the beach. Momo and Appa were sleeping under the tree.

"That one to my right is number 4506." Aang smiled as he looked towards the sky.

Jet then pointed to another cloud in the distance. "I see number 4507 to my left. It reminds me of Katara."

"Everything reminds you of Katara you pervert."

"And you're different?"

"Point taken."

They took a deep breath and let out a massive sigh. Even though they were human, Aang and Jet couldn't help but love Katara. She was the epitome of kindness and joy, and she always put them on such high pedestals in terms of their knowledge.

Little did either of them know that Katara was in the distance. "Guys!"

Aang didn't hear her the first time, and Jet only heard her as a slight buzz. "Even the wind reminds me of her beautiful voice…"

"Yea…"

"Guys!" The second time, Aang did catch her voice and peered his head to the distance.

He spied the figures of Katara and the others and fell into a frantic cheer. "Whoa! Mermaid off the port bow!"

Jet jumped from his position in shock, turning his head in multiple directions to catch Katara. "Where?"

"There!" Aang pointed to the spot where Katara and the others were but they had disappeared under the water.

When they resurfaced Aang noticed them immediately. "Here!"

Jet didn't notice them as quickly though and looked up. "Here?"

"Yes! There!"

"But you said "here"!"

"I mean, there, here!"

"Where's there?"

"Its right here!"

"But you don't describe, here as there!"

"I'm speaking on a smaller scale here!"

"Where are you even getting with this Aang?"

"That's what I'd like to ask you!"

"Oh shut up and come down!"

Aang nodded and slid down the bark of the tree with a beaming smile across his face as he looked upon Katara and her group.

Katara and Toph were laughing at the silly argument being thrown around, while Suki and Lan simply rolled their eyes at the lunacy.

Jet and Aang then ran up to Katara and gave very awkward bows that had everyone (even the animals) laughing to tears.

Jet quickly rose with his face blushing red. "Eh... hey Katara! What brings you to our neck of the sea?"

After finishing her last giggle, Katara brought up the bag and placed it on the sandy beach. "Take a look at what we found guys!"

Toph raised her chest in light of the situation. "Yep! We were in this sunken ship, and we were suddenly attacked by this shark. Of course, yours truly came in and-"

While Toph rambled on, Jet and Aang squealed at the chance to present themselves to Katara. They rushed to the bag and began to fight over the contents -though carefully; they didn't want to break anything in front of Katara.-

Eventually Aang came out as the winner when he knocked Jet to sea with a gust of wind. He then grabbed hold of the fork Katara found and began his own special explanation.

"Ah, this is a classic piece of mechanicalisms! I remember how we used these babies in the air temple, and boy were they great! They're called dinglehoppers!"

Katara watched him with eagerness similar to that of a child in a toy store. Suki and Lan listened as well but were left somewhat skeptical. Toph was still ranting about her heroics back at the shipwreck.

By now, Jet had managed to swim back to shore; he was a soaking mess. The under part of his clothing had some captured water, making him seem like a bloated fish, and his hair was covered with wayward and Appa snickered at Jet as he squished his way to Aang.

Oblivious to Jet's presence, Aang continued his dubious explanation. "Now you see, this dinglehopper was made for us humans to straighten our hair out!"

Suddenly Jet smacked Aang on the head with the broad side of his sheathed sword, knocking Aang silly; all while grabbing the fork. "Seeing as I'm the one with hair here -a do that you messed up at that- I'll be the one to do this."

Jet placed the fork on the top of his head and began to twist it around. "Now, just a little twirl here and yank there and... viole!"

Jet's hair was now in a shabbier state than beforehand. Katara didn't care though, she was amazed by the usage of the fork and stared at it with intense curiosity when she was handed it back.

"A dinglehopper! Wow!"

Then Suki went up to the shore and pointed to the pipe. "But what about that one?"

By now Aang had come too and made a quick grab for the pipe. Jet noticed this and quickly followed suite. They both had it clamped in their hands and weren't ready to let it go.

After a bit of growling, they both agreed to present it simultaneously. "This baby is known far and wide around the world as: A banded. Bulbous. Snarfblat!"

While Katara and Suki were left wondering, Lan was looking towards the object skeptically.

He squinted at it for a second, noting that it reminded him of something. "Say, that kind of looks like a pi-"

Jet and Aang turned their heads to Lan and gave him dirty looks. "We're the experts here so keep your long nose where it belongs!"

"It's always the nose..." Lan muttered sadly as he held his nose.

Using this distraction, Jet kicked Aang away and began to recite his historical facts on "the snarfblat." "Now you see, this snarfblat dates back to pre-hysterical times when we humans used to just sit around and stare at each other all day...got old real fast. So, we invented this snarfblat to make fine music, allow me!"

Aang then snatched the pipe and began to struggle with Jet over it. "No way! You got to present last time! It's my turn now!"

"Well maybe if you didn't throw me in the sea you'd get a turn!"

"You smacked me on the head with your sword and gave me a lump!"

"You should thank me! It's an improvement!"

As they fought over the pipe, Katara and her friends were deep in thought. Something that Jet said had tickled their minds, but they couldn't recall what it was.

After a few seconds of fighting, Aang had gotten a good look at the inside of the pipe and let go with a smirk. "Oh no, you should be the one to present. You are the boss after all."

Jet raised his head upwards in victory. "Smartest thing you said all day."

Jet then placed his mouth on the lip of the pipe and blew. No music came out, only seaweed and foam.

In surprise, Jet accidently sucked in some of the weed and began to sputter and gag violently. "Aang you bum! You set me up!"

As Jet was about to unleash his fury, that's when it hit Katara. "Oh my spirits, the concert! We forgot about the concert!"

The group was left in shock when the realization hit them. Katara snatched the pipe from the two and began to swim away.

Suki looked back to see that Toph was still flashing her ego to her imaginative audience. "Hey Toph, come on, we have to go!"

"And I'd like to thank my- wha-what? What did I miss?" Toph shook her head in confusion, as if she snapped out of a trance.

"Everything, come on!"

After a moment, Toph simply shrugged and followed after them.

Katara turned back once more to say her goodbyes to Aang and Jet. "By guys! Thank you for the info!"

They turned away from their argument and waved goodbye with silly grins. "Anytime Katara! Come here anytime!"

By the time they returned to their argument, Katara and her friends had already disappeared below the waves and made their way back to the palace, hoping they wouldn't be late.

**ooo**

In a far off valley, where the borders of the merfolk kingdom were at their limits, the sounds of angry voices could be heard. There, in the middle of the valley, were four strange looking characters, surrounded by the corpses of many merfolk.

There was one chap cloaked in black. He was green and had two legs extending from the bottom of his cloak. Though the growl behind his voice was suggesting anger, his eyes had no such detail. There were no eyes on his face, just two empty holes leading inwards like miniature abysses.

He had a great scowl peeled across his face as he scolded his companions. "Why did you guys kill them? We were ordered for stealth, not rampage!"

"Flame… if I recall, they attacked us." The person who responded to Flame was a youthful mermaid with dark blue-green skin. To call her an eelmaid would be the more appropriate term though, as her tail was that of an eel's, grey scaled and outlined with dark hair. Her hair was raven black with two long pigtails trailing down to her waist. She had two different colored eyes, one pale white, and the other, an eerie gold. She wore a bright red clothed bra instead of the normal seashell one, to better conceal knives and other such objects without harming herself.

"Yea Flame, get a grip. Besides, at least we have enough food for the next three months!"

This person was slightly similar to Flame in body. He was a green man with legs who wore a dirty brown hood cloak. Extending from his face was a long, hook-like nose which earned him dirty remarks.

Flame passed this other man a snarl. "You disgust me."

The man didn't pay attention to Flame though; he was busy drooling at the many merfolk bodies scattered around.

Before he could grab one of them, he was suddenly assaulted from behind by another eelmaid.

"Yea! We have nommies!"

Though this eelmaid had the same skin, eye, and tail as the other, she was a stark contrast. She had a beaming smile across her face almost constantly, though it was more akin to a mischievous smile than a cheery one. Her hair was dark brown, with a braided ponytail to the back. She wore a purple clothed bra on her chest area, which seemed too small for her.

The man struggled to get her off him as she held her arms across his neck. When he finally managed this, his skin changed to a blue hue, and a knife-sharp frown stretched across his face.

"Ty Lee! I swear to whatever Spirits you serve, that I am going to shove a lump down your throat if you keep doing that to me!"

Ty Lee started swimming backwards and passed the man a lecherous smile. "Ooh, someone's getting naughty."

The man raised his brow in confusion and started scratching his chin. Suddenly, his cheek flushed blue and he burst in fury again. "You dirty wench! Get over here and I'll show you what I mean!"

"Nyah-nyah! You'll have to catch me first, Spark!" She stuck her tongue forwards and proceeded to swim away.

As Spark gave chase, Flame was pressing a palm to his face. Then he looked to the raven-haired eelmaid who kept her hands crossed.

"Give it a rest Flame, we're criminals who have been known to kill, its best to live up to that name. Besides, at least we had something less boring to do for once."

"Boring? Mai, I don't know how you can always be so dull! Especially when we have those "things" screaming in our heads!"

"The monotony of it does that after a while."

Flame only looked to Mai with confusion before dropping his head down with a sigh. Mai took no notice of this and turned her head towards the bodies of merfolk.

"At any rate, did you notice?"

Flame passed Mai a confused glance. "Notice what?"

Mai then pointed out to the bodies. "Those merfolk. They're not your ordinary scouting party, they're palace guards."

"What are you getting at?"

"Isn't there a celebration at the palace today? You'd believe they'd have top security."

"Hmm, you're right. What would a gaggle of palace guards be doing in a lonesome place like this?"

"Isn't it obvious? There's something amiss over there."

Before they could converse further, they were being hailed from afar. Ty Lee and Spark had found something of interest in the distance.

When Mai and Flame reached the point, Spark and Ty Lee pointed to something. It seemed like four figures swimming off towards the palace. However, amongst the figures was an interesting sight. In the lead was a young mermaid, with dark skinand a blue fin.

That was no ordinary mermaid though. That was princess Katara, Queen Kya's youngest daughter. Her presence was definitely irregular, but also opportune.

"I think we found the source of our disruption." Mai looked towards the princess with a faint smile.

Spark grinned wickedly and turned his head to the others. "Hmm, do you know who'd be interested in this?"

Ty Lee passed on a bubbly smile to him. "She would!"

"Then you'd best put those eyes to work before the girl gets away." Flame crossed his arms and watched the princess with curiosity.

Ty Lee and Mai's eyes began to glow and eerie gold light as they fixated their gazes on Katara and her party.

**ooo**

In a dark corner of the sea, amidst the tortured screams of souls yearning for freedom, was the pale light of a crystal ball. Within the ball was the image of Katara and her friends traversing the sea.

Peering at the group, were two pale eyes breaking through the darkness. Within them was all the malice and selfishness of the world. The desire to rule all and be all was there, turning its evil sights on Katara.

"Yes, hurry home my princess..." The chalk-like smooth voice hummed from the darkness.

"We do not want to be late to my dear Kya's celebration now would we?"

The voice then gave a sinister chuckle as its eyes looked upon Katara. Then it burst out into a maniacal shriek, overshadowing all. Its echo stretched out far and wide until slowly dying away to silence.

The eyes then began to stare deeper towards the ball.

"Perhaps I could have a better use for you though. Yes... you will be my key. My key to unlock Kya's undoing."

Slowly the eyes turned away from the ball, disappearing into the darkness surrounding it...

**ooo**

**Stay tuned next Friday for when we explore deeper into the mind of Katara in chapter 3, Dreaming Mermaid!**


	4. Dreaming Mermaid

**Dreaming Mermaid**

While Katara was gone, the palace was in an absolute uproar. Guards had been dispatched into search parties. Only the Kyoshi stayed behind, because they were missing their leader.

Queen Kya was probably the most dysfunctional. She would swim back and forth in her throne room, worrying for Katara's safety. Sokka and Match were doing their best to keep her calm, while assessing the situation themselves.

When Katara did return, the palace was in a greater commotion than before. Many servants who worked on decorating and taking down decorations gave her evil glances. The Kyoshi guards that were still there wanted to give her an earful on safety, but were bothered with the task of recalling search parties.

By now Katara's group had split up, aside from Lan. Toph had gone off to her house to face criticism from her parents. Suki was forced to go off with the other Kyoshi Warriors to help with recalling search parties. This left Katara and Lan alone to face Queen Kya.

The Queen's anger had quelled into slight annoyance now. She was willing to reason with Katara, but was still agitated with her behavior.

She managed to keep her part of the lecture civil, but there was the problem with Sokka. He was absolutely furious with Katara and was not ready to let the situation lie down.

Right now Kya was doing her best to keep control as she lectured Katara in her throne room.

"Katara, what are we supposed to do about this? You were consistently reminded-"

"Yet you still didn't show, turning all that preparation into a waste of time!" Sokka stuck his head forward and cut his mother off.

Kya let Sokka finish, and quickly thought of something to say. She didn't want Katara to get any wrong ideas to how she was reacting to this predicament.

"You need to be a tad more responsible with these situations Katara. You're a kind hearted person who means well, but-"

"But you lack drive, or thought of what consequences come afterwards! If you had even an inkling of consideration for what I go through to make these things then maybe you'd see how horrible this is!"

Sokka went on like this for a while, leaving no time for Kya or Katara to speak.

Kya was pressing the palm of her hand to her face in annoyance. Sokka did mean well with his rants, but sometimes he went too far. She only hoped Katara wasn't taking it the wrong way.

Katara wanted to be reasonable and talk to her mother as well, but was unable to. Sokka's lengthy speech kept her from even uttering one word without receiving his chagrin.

Lan wasn't taking this all too well either. Sokka wasn't even giving poor Katara a chance to defend herself. So, without thinking, he swam up to Sokka to hand him an earful.

"Now listen here you! Katara's been through a lot and she doesn't need this rag on her mind!"

"And what excuse do you have to give for her, dart-face?"

"Oh, very cute," muttered Lan holding his nose. "I'd like to see you try wandering the surface with no stars in the sky, and then we'd see how fast you'd make it back to the palace!"

That caught Kya's attention all too quickly.

"The surface?"

Lan put his hands to his mouth when he realized the mistake he had made. He looked to Katara and blushed nervously while she simply frowned.

"Katara! You went up to the surface again?"

"Well, nothing happened mother."

"That does not change the fact that something could have happened! What if you were spotted by humans? Spirits know what would happen if you were caught by those barbarians!"

"Mother, have faith in me! I am eighteen years old! I'm not a child anymore!"

"And I realize that Katara, but you are still blind to the dangers out there. Humans and merfolk were never meant to interact with one another. If they see you, they will not simply say hello and be on their way. They will chase you down with their spears and kill you!"

"But mother, we don't even interact with them in the first place. Maybe if we just gave them a chance then-"

"Katara please! I've seen what these humans do to sea creatures. They do not deserve a chance. Now, I want you to swear to me that you shall never go to the surface again.

Katara stuttered a bit before lowering her head with a sigh. "Yes mother..."

Katara swam out of the throne room quickly. This left no room for Kya to smooth her words and give Katara more reason to understand.

Kya fell to her coral throne with a groan. She then noted that Lan was attempting to slink out of the throne room.

"Lan, come here."

Lan halted mid-slink and gave a nervous smile to Kya. He then swam forwards to her throne.

"Yes, your majesty?"

"Lan, I am very disappointed with how you have been handling Katara. You were employed to quell her recklessness to a minimum."

Then Match stepped in, feeling that he needed to hand some discipline too.

"Though you have kept her safe from harm, her inappropriate behavior continues."

"Well, your majesty, you know how teenagers are... they're... always moving... and complicated." Lan twiddled with his fingers as he spoke, grasping for any excuses he could find.

"Precisely why I have come to the conclusion that this task is too much for you. Now don't fret Lan, you're not being replaced. Your combat skills are too valuable to give up. So, Match and I have decided that you need a partner."

"Partner!"

Sokka had a grin as sharp as a knife when he heard this. "Ha, now that's something we need! Maybe now we can have some order around here!"

"He shall be someone who is ready to lay the hand of discipline down."

"Wonderful!"

"He's someone who can be relied on all times."

"Now that's my kind of guy!"

"He shall be always there to keep Katara out of trouble."

Sokka seemed ready to burst into boisterous applause as he smiled venomously to Lan. "Yes, yes, yes! This is the sign of change coming my way! Let's see this fella clean up your act!"

"That is why I have appointed you Sokka."

"You hear that buddy, they've appointed... me?" Sokka's joy quickly fell to shock when he realized this. He chuckled at first, before falling into masses of gibberish.

Lan was as equally shocked. He and Sokka did not get along well, so this partnership was less than ideal for him.

"Your Majesty! Surely you jest!"

"Yes mother! You can't partner me with this blunt swordfish, I have other commitments!"

"Oh, now that's just mean," muttered Lan, holding his nose.

"Come now you two," said Kya. "With Sokka's discipline, and Lan's fighting skills, taking care of Katara shall be a simple task. Once time has passed, and she has settled down, then you can split off."

Sokka and Lan wanted to argue more, but knew that such would be in vain. They bowed to Kya and quietly left the throne room, passing grim glances to one another.

Once they were gone, Kya let out a winded sigh and slumped on her throne. The pressures of being a queen were straining enough, but being a mother alongside it was nearly unbearable.

Kya frowned as she looked around her. "I don't know what I am doing wrong Match. Everyday it seems Katara is slowly slipping away from me."

Match turned his head to her and gave a quaint smile. "I think you did an adequate job, your majesty. You presented a strong argument, and showed Katara that you were doing this for her."

Kya turned a dull glance to him. "Do you think she sees it like that?"

Match's face fell to an unsure frown as he scratched the back of his neck. "Well... I can't exactly say whether or not she does your majesty. As my brother says, teenagers are very complicated and fickle to what you tell them. Right now is a very crucial time for Katara's relationship with you, and your actions will reflect on that. I know, I have a daughter myself."

Kya raised an eyebrow to him. "A daughter? You never spoke of her beforehand."

"There was no need to, your majesty. My relation with my daughter may be at an end anyways. She's been missing for many years, and I am concerned that she has met a less than favorable fate."

Kya stared at Match with a solemn gaze, longing to share any empathy of sorts. "I... I'm sorry for your loss Match."

Match looked to her silently. A aura of sadness pervaded through his black glasses. "Don't be... I'm the one who drove her off."

After that, Kya was left silent. The impact of Match's words had left her shuddering. She could only hope though, that her situation would not come to that.

**ooo**

Lan and Sokka were swimming through the palace halls. The hallway was open, with windows leading to the outside for all to swim in and out.

Both of them held their heads down in disgust and their mouths silent.

Lan then stopped to groan. "How do I get myself into these situations?"

"That's what I should be saying! I am the court composer and next in the line to the throne! I should be discussing politics and composing music, not tagging along after a headstrong teen and her gaggle of friends just because someone doesn't know how to handle his job!"

Lan shoved Sokka aside in defiance. "Now listen here, you impudent punk! I was doing my job just fine!"

Sokka rolled his eyes in exaggeration of Lan's words. "Oh yes, that's why you didn't miss the concert. Oh wait! You did miss it, because you don't even know how to handle one girl!"

"What makes you think we didn't miss it intentionally? Anything you compose would probably be as bad your attitude."

Sokka now pressed his forehead to Lan's. "My music is the work of art and I won't let you trash it!"

"Hard to trash what is already trash! Why don't you try something more around your league, like fighting? Oh wait, you suck at that too!"

"I'll have you know that I know how to fight! Suki's been showing me how to use a sword, and I've already mastered skills with a boomerang!"

"Let me see what you have then, fry!"

Before either could square off though, Sokka had his attention grabbed by three figures outside. He moved closer to the window to catch glimpse of them.

It was Katara, Toph, and Suki. In Katara's hands was a small red bag which she held closely to her chest.

They turned their heads around to make sure no one was watching. Sokka hid from their sight as they did this. Then, when the girls thought the coast was clear, they swam away.

Sokka raised his eyebrow and scratched his chin. "Hmm, Where are they going? The festival's the other way."

Before Sokka could make chase though, Lan swam in front of him like a wall. "Stop! Where they're going is none of your business!"

"And what are you going to do to stop me from following them?"

"Well I have just the thing for that. First, look to the right, then the left. Back to the right and then the left. Now look up, then down. Up once more; is that your mother behind you?"

"What?" Sokka turned to see nothing behind him.

When Sokka turned, he saw Lan swimming off to the distance. It mattered little though. Sokka was a merman so it was his fins versus Lan's legs. In this case he could out-swim Lan any day, but he chose to stay a short distance behind. Wherever his sister was going it didn't seem good. So he started his espionage trip following Lan, until he eventually caught up with the others.

Sokka trailed Katara's group for the next hour. It was simple for him to keep up with them at first, but then they made a sharp turn and it all went downhill from there. The road they were taking was convoluted and laden with overgrown plants. This didn't stop him though.

Sokka knew something fishy was going on, and he wanted find out what it was. If it was good enough information then perhaps his mother would let him off the job. Of course, by the time the group had left the underwater jungle, Sokka was just covered with bristles, thorns, and vines. Despite this shambled state of character, he managed to keep up with Katara all the way, -barring the few situations where he almost got lost.-

Sokka examined his area, but was unable to tell where he was at his point of view. From what he could tell though, he was inside a ravine of sorts, wedged between two large cliffs. Behind him was the jungle, camouflaging the entrance to this place. In front of him he could see that Katara and her friends were heading over to a cave of sorts. Sokka wanted to go up to inspect the surrounding area, but halted in fear that he would be spotted or that he would lose the Katara in the process, so he decided to just watch.

Actually, Sokka wasn't that far from the palace. He and the group had only traveled a few 10 miles at most. The area wasn't too well hidden aside from the twin cliffs and the jungle, as it was very high altitude, almost stretching to the surface.

What made Katara choose this area was because it was not a popular gathering site for anyone. This was off most patrol maps as well so there was little chance of discovery. Of course, she and the others often kept their eyes open at any time in case someone was tracking them.

Sokka watched from afar as he saw his sister move up to the cave. There was a large boulder blocking the entrance, something that would have been impossible for anyone to lift underwater. Katara was a waterbender though, and such a task wasn't difficult for her. She proceeded to move her body in a slim groove and let the currents of water flow through her. The currents she controlled moved upwards, into a small hole on the top of the cave. It made its way down until it hit the entrance from the other side, allowing for the cavern door to be opened by simple force. Toph was the one who would hold the boulder up while everyone slithered into the dark cavern.

When everyone was inside, Toph let the boulder slide back to its original position. Sokka took this chance and rushed in after the group. He was not fast enough though, as the entrance quickly shut. He wasn't ready to give up at this point though; he had a job to do and he was ready to take as many measures. -There was also the fact that he had never gone this far outside the palace without guard supervision so he was nervous of getting lost, and the drama build up would be enormous.-

Sokka quickly took to inspecting every side of this mysterious cavern. He circled side to side, from top to bottom. From what he could gather, the cave was a vertical rise. He noted that there was a small hole on the roof of the cavern but dared not to poke his head in, in thinking that he would be spotted.

Upon a second inspection, Sokka noticed a hole in the side of the cave hiding behind moss. It was barely big enough for Sokka to fit in, but he was willing to take the plunge. He backed up a bit and set his sight for the hole. Then, with gusto, he charged. He slid in before sharply stopping when his head and the front of his hands were on the other side.

This was possibly, the most embarrassing position for any prince to be in. Of course, no prince in recorded history had ever had to squeeze through a tiny hole to expose their sister like a criminal mastermind. The idea of being the first to do this slightly flattered Sokka until he realized that getting oneself stuck in a hole like bloated sea lion was not something people would applaud for.

What was he even doing there? Sokka could have just discovered the cave and tried to swim back to his mother. He supposed it was because of a growing sense of duty in him; he was going to be king after all, it made sense for him to take care of the situation himself. Still, when thinking over the situation, this wasn't that smart of a decision. Sokka would have smacked his head if he hadn't of done so this morning. Sokka was inside the cave though, and that comforted him with a sign of progress, now he just had to get himself out of this situation.

The cave was bigger than he had expected, which explained the quick trip he made through the wall. Inside were unnatural shelves dotted with strange objects. Some were round, some were twisted, others had strange faces; it was all too confusing for him. That's when Sokka thought; perhaps these objects were all human made. That would mean that his sister was smuggling human objects behind their mother's back, and by the sheer numbers he saw, it has been going on for a while.

Sokka could hear faint voices coming from below him. Using all the power in his trapped arms, Sokka stretched his head out to get a glance of what was going on below. He managed to get the majority of his head over the side of the current shelf he was on. He could see his sister on the bottom floor surrounded by her friends. She was solemnly looking at a strange human object she was holding in her while her friends fiddled with some of the other human things in the grotto.

Suki took notice and swam up to her. "Katara are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yea Suki I'm fine. Just thinking about what my mother said." Lan and Toph stopped what they were doing and looked at Katara with subtle frowns. Katara usually came to this place whenever she wanted to deposit her new treasures, but this was also her secret place to reconcile with herself when her mother got into an argument with her.

It wasn't that Katara hated her mother, it's just that she felt that her mother never gave her a chance to explain herself. They were both so separate in how they expressed their feelings to one another. This separation could be laid as a fault on both of them. Katara never expressed much to her mother after she became a teenager, often finding herself moving further and further away. Her mother could also be faulted as finding very little time to spare herself to Katara. At this point it was very difficult for them to interact.

"Maybe my mother is right, maybe there is something the matter with me. I just can't see how a world that makes such lovely things could be bad." Katara looked to the rest of the pieces in her collection of human objects and couldn't help but feel a sensation rise in her throat. Soon, it evolved into a song...

_**Look at this stuff,**_

_**Isn't it neat?**_

_**Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?**_

_**Wouldn't you think I'm the girl?**_

_**The girl who has everything?**_

_**Look at this trove,**_

_**Treasures untold,**_

_**How many wonders can one cavern hold?**_

_**Looking around here you think,**_

_**Sure,**_

_**she's got everything!**_

Katara then floated over to many hanging objects of different sorts. Some were necklaces, some rope, others watches, all of them were so fascinating to her. Each piece had its own special place in her heart despite its true usage being less than what she fantasized.

_**I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty**_

_**I've got whozits and whatzits galore**_

_**You want thingamabobs?**_

_**I've got twenty!**_

_**But who cares?**_

_**No big deal.**_

_**I want more!**_

Katara then looked towards the ceiling in a longing gaze before looking down on the seafloor. Then her attention turned to a small music box that had two human figures on the top of it dancing. The small tune that played as she spun it was simple but beautiful. She then looked to Lan's feet and smiled. She then took Toph's hand and started to dance.

_**I wanna be where the people are.**_

_**I wanna see,**_

_**wanna see them dancin'**_

_**Walking around on those - what do you call 'em?**_  
><em><strong>Oh - feet!<strong>_

_**Flippin' your fins, you don't get too far**_

_**Legs are required for jumping, dancing**_

_**Strolling along down a -**_

_**what's that word again?**_

_**Street!**_

As Katara continuously swam around the grotto, Sokka was watching from behind the objects. He was enjoying Katara's singing voice. It was always something to listen to its soft melody rise and fall. He almost drowned in the beauty of the music, questioning whether he should tell his mother about this place or not. Sokka then snapped himself back into reality. There was no place for a compassionate king! He had to stay true to duties ahead of him, and Katara was breaking those duties.

_**Up where they walk, up where they run**_

_**Up where they stay all day in the sun**_

_**Wanderin' free!**_

_**Wish I could be**_

_**Part of that world!**_

Katara looked up to the ceiling once more and sighed before falling to the ground below. She smothered herself in the cold ocean sand below her, longing for the warmth of the beaches above. Then Katara thought of her mother, and couldn't help but sigh.  
><em><strong>What would I give if I could live out of these waters?<strong>_

_**What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?**_

_**Bet'cha on land they understand**_

_**That life's not just following orders**_

_**Proper living I'd give for freeing**_

_**My lasting joy!**_

Katara swam high up the grotto and looked through many books. The words had faded long ago but the pictures there interested Katara. That's when Katara looked up to the small hole on the top of the grotto and stretched her hands through it. The hole was too small for her to squeeze through; and like the barrier of her life, she was repelled back down, down to the waters below as she sang her last verse.

_**I'm ready to know what the people know!**_

_**Ask 'em my questions and get some answers**_

_**What's a fire and why does it - what's the word?**_

_**Burn?**_

_**When's it my turn?**_

_**Wouldn't I love, love to explore that world up above?**_

_**Out of the sea,**_

_**Wish I could be,**_

_**Part of that world!**_

As Katara finished her song, Sokka couldn't help but feel that he heard enough. This was already enough evidence for him to expose her. He pulled as hard as his constricted arms could and slowly made some progress as he loosened himself.

"That's it, I've heard enough of this!"

Sokka's grunts left everyone in shock and surprise. They recognized his voice anywhere, but they couldn't tell where he was. The entrance was still firmly sealed and, they couldn't see any silhouette on the roof.

Sokka did manage to free himself, but once he was he just shot out of his hole and was sent flying. He shot straight onto Lan's face, smacking his eye into Lan's block nose. They both cringed in pain as they held their respective parts. Katara, Suki, and Toph were all left in surprise.

"My eye! Watch where you point that thing you lunatic, it's a weapon!"

Lan looked to Sokka and scowled. "My nose! You shouldn't smack into people like that when you want to make an entrance! This thing is fragile!"

Katara was busy thinking of an excuse to make as the two argued on.

Sokka then turned to Katara and exclaimed, "As for you! What do you have to say for this stuff?"

Katara had only one excuse come to mind. "We- uh just found this place lying around."

Sokka lowered his brow in annoyance. "Ho-ho, I see. You expect me to believe that you found this entire stockpile of human junk all nicely place on all these shelves? That sounds reasonable."

"Really?" Sokka lowered his brow again.

"Of course it does. Like hell that is! Do you know what mother would think if she found out that you've been holding up this stuff?"

"Oh please Sokka don't tell mother, she'd never understand!" Katara held up her hands, attempting to plea with him. Her sorrowful gaze almost had Sokka thinking otherwise, but he smacked himself back into reality.

"Sorry Katara, but I've got to do what I've got to do and that's that!" He held his head up high and crossed his hands in a pout.

"I say we tie him up and leave him for the sea buzzards." Toph snickered before being smacked by Suki. Sokka then realized something that he overlooked: he was in Katara's power. There was no other way out of this grotto, and bugger if he was going to go through that hole again. He needed to use his powers of deception to craft his own way out of this situation.

"Well now Katara, maybe we can handle this with a little reasoning. Perhaps we can talk this over -" Before Sokka could continue his sentence, the grotto became dark. Everyone turned up to see a great shadow looming overhead. Slowly it blocked the incoming moonlight, leaving the entire grotto in a shade of darkness.

Katara was amazed by the sheer visage of such a hulk. It was too far to be a shark, and too blurry to be a whale. It must've been something on the surface, and Katara was willing to find out what it was. With speed, she swam to the entrance of her grotto. Using her Waterbending she pushed the immense boulder out of the way and made a dash for the surface. All she could hear as she swam away were the sounds of Sokka calling for her.

"Katara! Where are you going? Come back here Katara!" His words soon became lost to her as she swam upwards to whatever that object was...

**ooo**

**Looks like the situation's really starting to get heated up folks!**

**Stay tuned next Friday for the release of Chapter 5:**

**Wrath of the Waves**


	5. Wrath of the Waves

**Wrath of the Waves**

Once Katara reached the surface, she peeked her head above the water barrier. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she beheld the wonderful sight before her.

There were dozens of multicolored lights beaming across the night sky in a festival of explosions, with a pale full moon above.

Katara could not help but feel aghast and amazed at the wonderful sight. The clouds erupt in shades unfamiliar and erratic to her, and she only smiled. It was like being in an enchanted faire of colors and sound, where all one wants to do is dance till you die of exhaustion.

What amazed Katara most of all though, was the great shape from where the lights originated. It was a human ship, skidding across the water surface as smoothly as ice. Katara had seen plenty of ships before but she never got a chance to see one in action. She was amazed that such a giant could wander the ocean surface without sinking.

When the others began to surface, they too were caught in the magic of the sparkling lights. The spectacle was unlike anything they had ever seen before, save the times they saw bolts shot out of the Queen's trident.

"Now that's an eye-opener, no mistake of that." Lan's mouth seemed to drop a mile down as he gazed at the lights.

"It's so beautiful…" Suki raised her hands to the sky as if to catch the dancing sparks.

Toph was the only one who wasn't mesmerized by the colors. Being that she was blind, she couldn't rightly see what everyone was in awe about, but she could hear the explosions well enough. "What's going on? Is there a fight? If so I get dibs on their faces! Hey, are you guys listening to me? Hello?"

Sokka was the last to come up, and he was very angry. When Katara left to the surface, he feared that the worst would happen and followed after her. This was not the case, and Sokka was very angry for apparently being, "tricked", into coming to the surface.

His face was flashing red as he glared at his sister. "Katara, what's the big idea doing that? You know we are not supposed to be up here! What would mother think if something happened to you? Hello? Are you even listening to me?"

Sokka waved his hand in front of her face and got no reaction. He then turned his head towards the ship and let out a gasp. Sokka never saw a human or their ships once in his life, but he heard many horrible stories about them. The dancing lights in the sky seemed more like symbols of war, and left Sokka frightened.

He squealed with fear and tugged on Katara's arm. "Jumping jellyfish! It's an attack! Katara, we have to get back underwater!"

Katara was lost to Sokka though, she was completely focused on the ship, and wanted to see more. She wrenched herself away from Sokka's grip and began to make her way to the vessel.

Suki and Lan snapped out of their trances and quickly swam after her, leaving Toph and Sokka behind to watch as they disappeared into the distance.

"Katara! Don't go Katara! Please, come back!" Sokka's screams were in vain, as Katara had already gotten too far to hear his cries and pleas. Sokka could only watch in horror as his sister dipped away into the distance.

Toph looked to the distance blankly. "…Will somebody tell me what's going on?"

**ooo**

On a lonesome gaggle of rocks in the distance, four figures were watching the ship with evil glares. They had been trailing Katara for the entirety of the day, out of sight and out of light. The discoveries they found were definitely intriguing but nothing of great value to their cause.

So they waited restlessly on those rocks, watching Katara's every move.

"I! Am! Bored!" Ty Lee squirmed in her spot like a snake in grass.

Spark turned a nasty glance to Ty Lee and growled. "Do us all a favor Ty Lee. Put that mouth to use and shut it, or I'll shut it for you!"

Ty Lee puffed her face in annoyance, before twisting it to a slick smile. "Spark! I didn't know you were that into me."

Spark was silent for a moment, before his cheeks rushed blue. "Another crack like that and I'll…! You know what, I won't finish." He turned around and mumbled to himself while Ty Lee smugly grinned.

Flame got up from his spot and smacked them both on the back of their heads. "Will you two be quiet! You're going to get us spotted!"

As Spark pressed his hands to the back of his head he glared at Flame. "Spotted? We're almost a mile away from them!"

"Yea, if we really wanted to be spotted, we'd go up and scream: "We're out to discover-!"" Before Ty Lee could say more, Flame clamped her mouth shut and pulled her down.

"You're all idiots as far as I can tell." Mai was the only one who wasn't up in arms over the commotion. She kept to her spot and silently stared at the vessel while the others had been arguing the night away.

"Besides, if we stay here longer, chances are, we'll be in danger."

None of them understood where Mai was getting at. "What?"

The only answer she offered them was in the form of her hand pointing to the sky.

They looked up and let their jaws drop in awe. Their heads turned to one another and they began to nod in a silent agreement.

Spark turned his head towards the ship, passing an evil grin. "This is going to be interesting..."

**ooo **

Katara made her way towards the ship at top speed, and when she arrived she used her Waterbending to rise towards a ledge that allowed her to view the deck without being seen.

She looked up from her hiding place to see many humans dancing. They all wore uniform clothing and strange hats on their heads. Some humans had snarfblats in their hands which they would use to play music, though these were different from the one Jet and Aang had shown Katara earlier. Some were lean, some were large, and others were saggy.

The tune the humans played had Katara smiling in glee. Although, the melody was jumpy and left a lot to be desired in comparison to more refined music Katara listened to. However, the inconsistency had her feeling as if she was in a parade of fantasy, in celebration only because there was life. It was such a change from her daily palace life.

Then something caught her eye. There was one human to the other side of the vessel looking towards the party with a frown on his face. He was young, with red and black robes of a fancier assortment than the simple cloths the others wore, suggesting nobility.

On the left side of his face was a hideous scar that collapsed the majority of the skin around his left eye. The right side of his face was stern, filled with bitterness and disgust, yet it had a hidden side to it. Within its deep gaze, Katara saw a hint if suffering and torment. He longed to dance with the sailors, but felt unable to, and looked to them with jealousy. It almost brought a tear to Katara's eye.

A voice then erupted out of the crowd. "Silence! Silence for my birthday honor to my nephew!"

Katara looked to see that it was an old man who said that. He was dressed in similar robes to that of the young man, yet of a light variety of red. He sported a beard that stretched down to his chest. He had a large protruding gut, similar to that of the bloated humans Katara would always see on sunken ships. His face was boisterous with joy, a stark contrast to the young man.

All activity on the ship stopped as he made his demands. Sailors dropped their instruments and all eyes were focused on the old man.

He cleared his throat and patted the younger noble on the back. "Today is a special day! Today happens to be the eighteenth birthday of our young Prince Zuko, and only a few days before his coronation as the new Fire Lord!"

The sailors raised glasses in a mess of cheer. Only the young prince Zuko winced at the speech and crossed his fingers over his eyelids. By Katara's guess, he didn't want to be the ruler of his nation. She couldn't help but feel a kindred nature to it; he was not all too different from her, but not quite the same.

"So it is my privilege now to present Prince Zuko with his birthday present." The old man smiled as he walked away from Zuko and towards a large object draped in cloth.

The old man removed the cloth, revealing a large statue of prince Zuko. He was standing with his right arm to his chest, and his left hand holding a large banner with a symbol. While the old man seemed impressed with the statue, Zuko seemed aghast with horror.

Zuko walked over to the statue and stuttered as he grasped words to describe it. "Oh, well, uncle Iroh… it's really something else…"

Iroh smiled proudly to his nephew and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I had it commissioned myself. Of course, I hoped it would be a wedding present."

Zuko pressed the palm of his left hand to his face in disdain. "Oh no uncle, not that again. Are you still sore that I didn't fall for the priestess of the southern air temple?"

Iroh gave an innocent smile to Zuko with his hands held behind his back. "Well, I was somewhat disappointed when you did; she was very pretty."

Zuko rolled his right eye in an exaggerated fashion. "Oh yes, she was pretty, but also bubbly clumsy with everything she touched. I'm surprise I didn't lose an arm that night! Don't think I also didn't catch your romantic tricks to get us together! Those things don't work!"

Iroh's smile slowly transitioned to a sad frown as he eyed his nephew's disdain. "I'm sorry Zuko. I was only trying to help you."

"Oh yes, _help me_. If there was anymore glitter present at that event of yours I would have become a fairy."

"Zuko, don't think I'm the only one who worries about you. The entire kingdom loves you, and wants to see you happily settled down with the right girl."

"If I get married Uncle, I want it to be to a girl who understands me. I want a girl who I can trust; someone who would be a friend during my greatest time of need; someone whom I could say good morning too with a smile. I want a girl just like mom…"

As Zuko continued, Katara silently watched from her spot, longing to give him a hug. He was like a child who had lost his way and was longing for guidance from someone.

"Dear nephew, your mother's death was a hard thing for all of us, but you have to let go and understand that people die… just like my son..." Iroh's face darkened as those last words escaped his mouth.

"That won't stop me from looking Uncle. When I find her, I'll know that she's the one. It'll just hit me, like lightning."

When that last word left Zuko breath, the sound of thunder echoed in the distance, like drums of doom. The wind began to pick up from its light breeze to a violent rage. The water began to rise and fall, beating down on the metal vessel like pounding fists. A storm was now overheard.

A voice emanated from the communication tubes and echoed to all on board. "Hurricane-a-coming! Stand fast! Secure the boiler room!"

The other members of the crew stopped what they were doing and scrambled towards their positions on the ship. They rushed to the inner chambers of the vessel to help keep the ship on course. Even young Zuko ran to join the fray, despite his social position.

It was like watching a behemoth beat down on insects. The ship crashed against wave after wave, and was being thrown around like a ball. The rain beat on the decks like rocks, soaking the crewmen instantly while lighting struck above with earth-shattering cracks. The sheer intensity and power of this storm was almost unreal to the eye, and chilling the very soul.

The crew who were left on the upper decks, to keep supplies from falling, continued their tasks un-dauntingly. Deep inside, they continued to struggle with the awesome spectrum of power that aimed for nothing more than their destruction. Mere mortals were challenging the very power of nature itself, not just because they wanted to, but because they knew that their lives depended on it. This will to survive, was probably the most fascinating thing Katara had learned of humans today.

Katara herself, was barely hanging on to the metallic ledge of the ship. Even her waterbending could not help her challenge the power that she was facing right now. As for her friends, they were quickly dragged back down the watery depths by the immense strength of the waves.

The control tower of the ship was soon struck by an intense bolt of lightning, killing all inside. The ship was now left unmanned and at the mercy of the ocean.

Seeing that the ship was heading off course, Zuko ran straight to the control tower. Once there he grabbed the helm for dear life, not willing to let it go for a second, no matter how much it burned his palms with pain. The ship was now at his command, and he aimed to topple the very forces of nature if it meant to protect his uncle and the crew.

By now, Katara could no longer hold her position; she was quickly struck down by a crashing wave and sent back into the dark waters below. She made a quick turn and swam back to the surface. With her skills of waterbending, she struggled to stay afloat as long as she could.

Unfortunately, Zuko's efforts to protect the vessel were in vain, as the ship had steered so off course that it was now heading straight towards a throng of rocks. He did his best to avoid them but saw that it was no use. The ship was about to crash, and everyone on board would be thrown into the ocean if they didn't know.

Zuko grabbed for the communication tubes and began to bark warnings. "Rocks ahead! Abandon ship!"

Many of the crewmembers panicked and began to run towards the lifeboats. They were too slow though, as the ship crashed forward into the large chunks, causing several small explosions to occur below deck. Everyone on deck was thrown overboard by the massive shockwave along with a few lifeboats.

Once in the lifeboats, Zuko managed to gather up the crew, but he felt that there was something wrong. He had counted everyone and was sure that they were all safe. Then it hit him; he could not find his uncle anywhere.

"…Uncle…Has anyone seen my uncle?"

They could only shake their heads in reply. Zuko frantically looked to the water below but saw nothing. Even though the surface was lit by the flames on the ships he could see nothing.

"Then that means that he's… _still on the ship_!" His eyes widened in fear as he looked to the burning vessel.

Zuko dived into the water and swam towards the ship with all the power in him. The waves crashed downwards, aiming to stop him but he had managed to persevere and climb into one of the gaping holes in the hull.

There were fires everywhere below deck, covering up the exit to the upper. Zuko didn't give up though; he was ready for such an occasion.

With a swift swish of his arm, Zuko summoned a stream of fire. It was the art of firebending, the ability to summon and manipulate fire to one's own advantage. Zuko had been taught to mastery level and used this to clear the other flames out of his way.

Once on deck he saw his uncle struggling under a mass of wreckage. Zuko didn't even bother to call out to him. He only ran with all the power in his legs, avoiding the debris in his way.

Katara watched his acts of bravery from afar and was left impressed by the courage Zuko possessed. He was different from the boy she had seen a few minutes ago. It was as if he had adopted a whole new persona.

She watched as Zuko pulled Iroh out of the wreckage and held him on his shoulder. "Uncle, are you alright?"

"Yes; I'm not as sturdy as I used to be when I was fifty. Thank you Zuko."

Zuko looked to his uncle with tears falling from his face and a smile. "I couldn't lose you too Uncle. Come on, let's get out of here! Can you still walk?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go!"

With great speed they both ran to the other side of the ship, so as not to be skewered by the rocks below when they jumped. Once there, Iroh made the first jump and did his best to swim to the lifeboats.

When Zuko attempted to jump, a large patch of the floor caved in on his right leg, trapping him in one spot. Zuko didn't call to his uncle though. It was too risky for a second rescue attempt and, chances were, it would be too late.

No one on the lifeboats understood why Zuko was hesitating. Iroh was unable to look back because of the harsh waves and only hoped his nephew was alright. Only Katara knew what was happening and she gasped.

"His leg is caught!" None of the sailors knew where this voice had come from, but they looked to the ship and saw that it was true.

After picking up Iroh, they began to row the lifeboats closer to the ship in hopes that they could get to Zuko in time.

Zuko was busy trying to escape his predicament. He feverously pounded on the floor in vain hopes that he could pull his leg free.

The predicament grew more desperate as the fires below began to spread further into the boiler room. The stream finally reached one of the boilers and sparked it in flame. A chain reaction followed, absorbing the ship in explosions.

Zuko's body quickly vanished from view, with his screams of agony being the last remnant of his presence.

Katara, in her horror, swam to the wreck as fast as she could. All common sense fled from her as she focused her attention on finding the lost prince.

She dodged around flotsam and jetsam and circled the ship thrice-fore but couldn't find a trace. That's when Katara noticed a vaguely human shape sticking out of the water. It was Zuko. His unconscious body was holding onto a piece driftwood, but it wasn't for long. A rising wave pushed him off and into the ocean depths.

Katara quickly followed after him beneath the waves, grabbing him just before he could sink any deeper. She brought him up for air and hoped he was still alive. More waves began to crash down on her, but she refused to give up.

With only her waterbending skills and sheer force of she, Katara ploughed her way through the ocean waves, hoping that she could get Zuko to safety, before it was too late…

**ooo**

**How Horrible! **

**Find out if Zuko survives his ordeal in next weeks chapter:**

_Impossible Dreams_**!**


	6. Impossible Dreams

Impossible Dreams

The chaos of the other night parted away to reveal the calm of day. There was not a cloud in the sky, leaving the sun to bask the ocean with its warm touch.

It was on this day that Katara had finally managed to return Zuko to the shore of the human world. She traveled great distances and through the power of the oceans for the sake of one human, but why?

Was it pity, or remorse? She didn't rightly know.

Zuko had shown up in her life as a lost child. He wanted to find his place in a world that could not contain his ambitions and dreams. This was, possibly, the true reason that she rescued him; it would have been such a shame for his life to end on such a note.

She had brought him to a beach near his kingdom. Katara had seen the city before, but only from a distance. The grand palace hung on an overlook where a volcano had once stood, until an earthquake forced the largest portion of the volcano to sink underwater.

Katara had taken Zuko close enough to the palace, but not so close that she would be seen. She was very shy of how the human world would react to her, despite her fondness of it.

Once she reached the beach, she thought of leaving Zuko there so that other humans would find him but, for some reason, she felt compelled to stay.

As she watched him sleep, she couldn't help but stroke his hair playfully. He was so stern and fierce when he was awake, but in his slumber his face was soft... and so beautiful. He would sometimes mutter the words "mother" and "uncle" in his dreams, but was mostly silent. Katara couldn't help but wonder at his devotion to his family.

"They must truly be wonderful people." Katara smiled at Zuko's muttering, but then something caught her eye.

Zuko was starting to shuffle more than usual, and his breathing sped up. "...Mother... mother! Please don't go! Don't leave me!"

He fidgeted and squirmed restlessly in his slumber. His mutters were beginning to resemble squeals and cries. His face began to tighten, as if he was in pain. Whatever nightmare he was experiencing, it was one close to his heart.

Katara kept calm though. She placed one of her hands to his heads and hushed him with small whispers.

"Don't worry, it'll be alright. I'm here for you."

Within less than a few seconds, Zuko calmed down. His breathing slowed, and his face softened. Then something happened that caught Katara off guard. A smile stretched across Zuko's face.

"...Thank you... mother..." His face returned to normal shortly after, and Katara was left blushing.

Being called mother was very odd, but it was also reassuring. It was like being given a responsibility, but at the same time, it wasn't a bad one. Katara even felt flattered that he thought of her like that.

Katara's heart quickly began to race as she watched Zuko lay in his sleep; eyes shut and muttering childish gibberish. She felt a sort of attraction to him, yet she couldn't tell what it was. Katara could tell one thing though; Zuko was her greatest link. Through him she could see it all.

From him she had learned so much about how humans lived, and how they felt. Their thoughts and dreams were not all that different from a merperson. It was in this strange familiarity that Katara felt a companionship.

A melody slowly began to rise in her throat as the thoughts raced through her head, calling on her to sing with all her heart...

_What would I give to live where you are?__  
><em>_What would I pay to stay here beside you?__  
><em>_What would I do to see you smiling at me?_

_Now there's a dream,__  
><em>_Now there's a goal,__  
><em>_Now there's a need I'll never control.__  
><em>_I won't get free,__  
><em>_Till I can be,__  
><em>_Part of your world._

As Katara's song began to finish, she leaned her head closer to Zuko and pursed her lips. Slowly, she inched nearer and nearer until finally... she stopped.

Katara's was startled out of her trance by the sounds of splashing and grunts. She looked behind her to see that it was her friends! They had all washed ashore after the storm and were now huddled together in a large pile, with Sokka on the bottom.

"G-get off me you clods!" He stuck out his arms from the bottom of the pile and pushed his way out.

As he did this, Katara noticed a detail that had slipped her mind. Sokka had a tail, Suki had a tail, Toph had a tail, and she had a tail. Katara was a mermaid, and Zuko was a human.

It had never struck her more than it did now. Katara, and Zuko were two different people, from different cultures, and with two different destinies. Though they had the same thoughts as one another, there was still that frustrating boundary that kept them far apart. Neither could be in the same world as the other, and they could never interact properly.

The reality stung sharp and true and left Katara disheartened. Her dreams, and her hopes seemed like such follies now.

She ignored everything else that was happening around her. She didn't even notice when Sokka managed to free himself from the pile up. He was looking at her with bulging eyes and an open jaw.

He began to mutter gibberish, but then started to squeal in a child-like manner. "I am not seeing this, I am not seeing this!"

What Sokka was seeing was reality though. His sister had indeed saved a human from drowning. She had made contact with the world that mother had forbidden them all from ever traveling, shattering the promise she had made before. Katara could care less about that though; all she cared about now were her broken dreams.

Though Katara was focused on Zuko, she had failed to see that he was starting to wake up. The sound of Katara's angelic voice had stirred him from his rest. It beckoned him with a sound as sweet as honey and powerful as echoing wind.

As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw Katara's figure above him, now pitch black because of the sun behind her. Though he could not properly see her, Zuko was completely entranced by the voice that was as mysterious as the ocean blue and as comforting as the mother he once had.

Before Zuko could talk to his mysterious savior, a voice called to him in the distance. "Zuko!"

Katara and her friends caught sight of the figure behind the voice and jumped back into the water. Zuko didn't even have a chance to get a good glimpse at her before he was suddenly raised up by his uncle.

Iroh had a great smile peeled across his face as he lifted his nephew from the sands. He had been so worried since last night and had search parties sent everywhere. The relief Iroh felt when he found Zuko to be lying on this beach was immeasurable. However, Iroh did not see his nephew's rescuer.

Iroh gave his nephew a great hug as tears ran down his face like waterfalls. "Zuko, I'm so glad that you're alright! I dreaded that you befell a horrible fate!"

When Iroh let him go, Zuko began to stagger on the beach as if in a trance. "A girl... she saved me. Her voice was magnificent. She comforted me in my darkest dreams and nursed me back to health… like mom would."

Iroh chuckled as he caught Zuko from a near faint. "Dear nephew, I think you may have swallowed a bit too much sea water. A little bit of rest and you shall be feeling right as rain."

Zuko was then led away from the shore. Every chance he got, he would steal a glance and look back to the point where he heard that dazzling voice. Little did he know that his mystery maiden was not too far off. Katara was hiding behind a rock in the distance, watching him walk away.

While Katara gazed to the shore, her friends were discussing the current situation.

"Now what?" Lan scratched the back of his head as he watched Katara.

"We've got to keep this secret, that's what." Toph crossed her arm and rested on the water surface in deep thought.

Suddenly, Sokka burst into the conversation. He was hyperventilating like mad, and his eyes were bloodshot. "Yes! Yes! _Yes!_ Secret we _must_ keep! Sokka is _suspect_! Get caught, and Sokka _dead_!"

As the three of them chatted, Suki swam towards a sulking Katara and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Katara, are you alright?"

Katara's mouth was dry and her eyes moist with a salty liquid similar to the ocean, but twice as bitter: tears. "...I'll never see him again, will I Suki?"

Suki lowered her head and frowned. After a long moment of silence she slowly nodded her head in silent reply. Her eyes watered as well when she saw Katara slowly turn her head to the shore.

As the tears streamed down Katara's face she felt another melody rise from the back of her throat, slowly evolving into another song...

_What would I give if I could live out of these waters?__  
><em>_What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?_

_I'd give my life,__  
><em>_I'd sell my soul,__  
><em>_'Cause I can feel I'll never be whole.__  
><em>_But I can see,__  
><em>_I'll never be,__  
><em>_Part of your world..._

Her voice rang out like bells in the afternoon. As her friends listened, they could not help but shed tears. They had long known of Katara's ideals being a little far-fetched, but dared not to share their disbelief else they get this reaction. Even Sokka, as hard hearted as he was, could not help but feel a little guilty for his sister.

Her voice was so lovely, that the very winds carried it across the distances to the ears of many on ocean blue. It is even said to this day, that if one were to journey far to sea, that they would hear the voice of a young woman, singing her tale of woe...

However, it wasn't only the ears of sailors that Katara's song caught on to. It attracted the attention of four mysterious figures, hiding in the water. It was the same four that had been trailing her since last night.

They watched her intently from their dark corners; their curiosity was piqued. A mermaid princess falling in love with a human prince was not an everyday occurrence, and the four of them knew that their master would be very interested.

Mai and Ty Lee were quick to capture Katara's image in their golden eyes as she watched the shore with her friends, unaware of the sinister powers gazing at her from afar.

**ooo**

Two beading eyes revealed themselves from the darkness, peering down at the crystal ball before them. There, on the shining globe, all that had transpired since Katara rescued Zuko was now a spectacle for the dark figure behind the eyes.

A bellowing chuckle emerged from the darkness as all became clear. The child of Kya was in love with a human prince, and the laws of the kingdom strictly forbid such interaction. Should her mother discover this foul play, then things would get interesting.

"The girl is headstrong, and a dreamer at that. It would be such a shame for her wish to go un-granted."

The eyes then averted their gaze from the crystal ball and peered into the darkness afar. "What do you think my dears? Should we make her a part of _our _world?"

The voice was responded to with chilling cries of pain.

"I thought you'd all agree with me." The smooth voice snickered as the echoing cries grew louder and louder, until becoming near deafening...

**ooo**

**What a chilling alternate to the original Part of Your World!**

**Stay tuned next week for chapter 6: Down Home!**

**ooo**

Author's Notes:

These are the originial lyrics to PoYW reprise when the movie was in an early planning stage.

Originally, this version was going to lead to a very depressed Ariel, but that all changed when the animator failed to realize that their first animation actually involved Ariel being happy and bubbly; so instead of changing the animation and wasting money, Alan and Howard decided to change the lyrics.


	7. Down Home

**Down Home**

After the incident with Zuko, life went on as normal under the sea. Time did not stop and the passing of the storm was only a minor hindrance to the grand festival that followed. Then, like most things, it was eventually forgotten; as is the flow of time.

Something was missing from that night though. Katara had not been seen until morning struck and the festival was already ending. When her mother asked where she had been she gave no reply and went to her room.

Katara's friends had explained that she had gone through a rough experience and needed some time alone to cope with reality. They would say nothing afterwards.

The following days showed no improvement. Katara wouldn't go out as often, instead she'd be locked in her quarters committing to her studies, or practicing her singing with Sokka. What was more was that she seemed to have a complete personality change overnight. She was very critical to everyone, including her friends, for being, what she called: "foolish dreamers."

Kya was especially affected by this change of state. This should have been a dream come true for her, but for some reason, this made her miserable. Although Katara wasn't the perfect child before, Kya still found her enjoyable company. Now, Katara seemed nothing more than a shell of her former self, and Kya could definitely sense something was wrong.

The problem though, was that Katara refused to speak to Kya. Whenever Kya approached her, Katara would simply swim away with a growl. This left Kya at wits end; she didn't know whether Katara was angry at her or something else. One thing was certain though, Katara was being robbed of every fiber of joy in her body, and Kya was desperate to find out why.

Kya sat in her throne room, looking to the ceiling with tired eyes. She had not been able to sleep well recently. This situation had her pondering night and day, but still she had no leads.

Match stayed by her side throughout the ordeal and did his best to offer support. Despite his reserved nature, he was very sensitive to the emotions of those close to him. He worked as hard as Kya to find a solution, but he had very little success.

Kya groaned hoarsely and slumped further into her throne. "I've never seen Katara behave like this before. What could have set her off so?"

Match frowned sadly, but tried to keep her spirits up. "Well, your majesty, isn't this what you wanted? Katara's been much better behaved lately."

"I thought I wanted this too, but this coldness, this depression, it's sickening. Even now I'd prefer the former Katara to this empty shell."

"Well then, your majesty, what would you prefer?"

"At this point, I'm not very sure. When I think of it though, I want the Katara who used to call me "mommy"."

"When she was a toddler? Why?"

"It's not that I don't want her to grow up. It's that I always felt a connection between me and that Katara that we just don't have now. You may label it selfish, but that's just how I feel."

Kya was never the best when describing her own feelings. She could never even converse with her own parents when she was younger. Kya wanted the best for her daughter, but she was so limited in how she could give it to her. Everything she tried never had the results she wanted, and only succeeded in driving her further away.

Was this it? Was this the end? Had Kya finally lost Katara to the point of no return? The mixed feelings built up in her, ready to burst. Kya's sensibilities and royal demeanor dissipated to reveal the confused and frightened girl within. All lessons she had been taught failed to overcome this task, and she was left helpless. The tears welled up, but only dispersed in the water, leaving Kya's gasps as the only sign she was crying.

Then Kya felt a warm hand touch her shoulder. She looked up to see it was Match smiling at her. His smile was so comforting.

"It will be alright your majesty, I'm sure of it. It may be too late for me, but there is still a chance for you."

Kya's frown slowly transitioned to a small smile as she listened to his words. "…Thank you Match."

She then sat upright on her throne and regained her composure. There was still time left, but Kya had to work fast. She thought to herself if there was anything left she hadn't exhausted. Then she remembered Sokka and Lan. They had been reluctant to tell Kya about Katara's situation at first. It was almost as if they were hiding something from her. Perhaps if she inquired them hard enough they would slip some sliver of information.

Kya shot up from her throne; her determination was rekindled. "Match! Have a messenger send for Lan and Sokka!"

Match only bowed his head with a smile. "As you wish your majesty, it shall be done."

A messenger had been hastily disposed. Now Kya had to wait. The clock was ticking and Katara's fate rested in her hands. She only hoped that it wasn't too late.

**ooo**

On the outskirts of the merfolk kingdom, Suki and Toph were out an about.

They were searching for human objects for Katara in hopes that would cheer her up. It was their normal solution whenever Katara was in a rut of sorts.

The search party was limited to only them. Katara refused to go anywhere, so they couldn't ask her. Lan and Sokka were both forced to be by her side, so they couldn't come either. This made the search somewhat cumbersome for Suki and Toph.

They barely talked to one another, except for when Katara was around. When they did talk, it was either an argument over Toph's ego, or Suki's attitude to said ego. This made it difficult for them to work together, but they managed.

The both of them took to exploring a small ravine to see what they could find. Though the gap was narrow, the sea floor wasn't too deep for it to be pitch black. Human vessels were said to often venture by the place and dump their garbage, so it seemed the perfect spot to search. Unbeknownst to Toph and Suki though, was that the ravine they were in was also near the area where Zuko's ship crashed and sank.

Toph laid herself backwards in the water while Suki examined the cliff face. She would regularly affix her gaze on Toph and then back to the cliff, but Toph paid no heed.

After a long while, Suki fully turned towards Toph, a great scowl peeled across her face. "How can you just float there, like that? Katara's depressed and you're relaxing!"

Toph only yawned. "I don't know if you noticed, but finding things isn't my game." She turned her head to Suki and pointed to her white eyes.

"You could still try to help! Katara needs us!"

"…And me looking for this stuff is supposed to help? I'm here to get it out if it's stuck or too heavy, not to actually find it. That's your job."

Suki pressed her palms to her face and growled in irritation. "Can't you think of someone other than yourself for once?"

"How this conversation trailed to that, I'll never know." Toph turned away again and began to pick her nose.

Suki's face slowly began to flare a bright red as she watched Toph flick boogers. Her inner rage and jealously built up inside her, like a rumbling geyser ready to blow, until she could no longer hold it in.

Suki grabbed her by the shoulder and jerked Toph in front of her, a sharp scowl setting on her face. "Listen here you! I don't know how Katara has put up with your ego for so long, but I am sick of it! You keep talking and talking about how great you are, and always steal attention at every turn! Katara praises you every day, and what have you got to show for it, nothing but crap!"

Toph kept a calm face as Suki's rant continued. Then, she pulled her arm free from Suki. "If I recall, I'm the one who does everything important on our adventures. I'm the one who opens new paths. I'm the one who defeats most of the baddies we fight. What do you do; just float around while I do the work!" Her eyes began to squint with annoyance.

"At least I don't shower everyone with my accomplishments like some stupid floozy who has nothing better to do!"

"Maybe you would if you actually got anything done!"

"Well, maybe I would if you actually gave me a chance to do some of the helping, instead of just sidelining me, and stealing Katara's attention!"

Those last words had Toph silenced. She raised an eyebrow up in confusion before she transitioned to a straight face. She then folded her arms and turned her head away from Suki. "…So that's it."

Suki snapped out of her anger and scratched the back of her neck with a flustered frown, as if she didn't realize what she had said. "W-what's it?"

Toph turned her head once more and pointed a finger at Suki. "You're jealous of me, aren't you?"

Suki's face shot red again, but out of embarrassment. "M-me? Jealous of you? N-no. That's impossible."

"So that's why you always have such a problem with my ego. You think that I've stolen Katara from you."

Suki didn't reply that time. She lowered her head and twiddled her fingers in nervous confusion without saying a word. All that could be heard was the muffled swishing of the water passing by.

Toph sighed and shook her head. "That's stupid of you."

Suki's head suddenly shot up in annoyance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means what it means. You've been with Katara longer than me so you should know better. She's not the kind of person to pick favorites Suki."

Suki lowered her head again with a sigh and muttered softly. "… I know… it's just that, you don't know what it's like. I used to be Katara's big sister. I was the one with the responsibility, but ever since you and Lan came, I just feel like I've been put to the side."

Toph rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner. "Oh brother; and you're supposed to be older than me. Suki let me tell you something, just because I show off doesn't mean that I get the most attention, it just means that I'm louder than you whenever I get something done."

Suki wanted to say something. No matter how much her lip quivered however, she still couldn't get the words to leave the privacy of her mouth.

"Oh, chin up Suki. How do you think Katara will react if you look like that when you bring her the object."

Suki lifted her head in surprise and confusion, her mouth hanging down, like as if its hinges were broken. "What?"

Toph grinned widely, with a subtle chuckle behind her words. "Just to show you how much Katara won't care which of us brings the object, you'll get the credit. After all, this was your idea."

Suki wanted to say something, but was left speechless. All she could muster at that time was a faint smile.

Toph then laid back on the water and said, "So don't worry Suki; I'm sure whatever will come is gonna hit us when we least exp-"

Toph couldn't finish, as she swam backwards and hit her head on something in the shadows of the cliff.

"AGH- SEVEN TIMES TWO! I hate karma, and I hate descriptions; my aching head!"

As Toph clenched her head in pain Suki noticed something in the spot where she hit her head. There was a strange and unnatural object sticking out of it.

Upon closer inspection Suki gasped.

Toph heard this grunt and turned her focus to Suki. "Yo Suki, what's up?"

Suki was silent for that moment, but then she turned her head to Toph and grinned. "...Toph... I think this may be exactly what we need!"

**ooo**

In a grove far off to the distance, Katara was idling her time away. The grove sparked a magical radiance with its fine assortments of flora. There were flowers with more colors than a rainbow, bulbs with more light than the pale moon, and coral with more depth than the clear blue sky.

In the midst of all this joy, Katara stood out as a large chunk of misery. She was sitting on a rock in the middle of the grove, endlessly staring to, who knows where. Her eyes did not shine like beforehand, only sharing vague resemblance to their former radiance.

Beside Katara, were Lan and Sokka. Because of their occupations, they were obligated to stay by her side. Although they didn't like working with one another, they both realized that there was a bigger problem at hand; Katara's depression.

This distinguishing gloom was growing more noticeable as days passed. Katara wasn't eating right, and she often forgot to tend to her appearance. She slept restlessly at night and kept Sokka and Lan awake with anxiety. Now she was a disheveled mess.

If anything wasn't done soon, Katara could get seriously injured. Worse; if Katara's depression sank so low that'd she'd gab about the human situation, Sokka and Lan would be in a bad spot.

"We've got to do something about this!" Sokka's face was stretched with anxiety.

"Yea, if this keeps up, who knows what will happen." Lan's expression was droll and exhausted.

"I'll tell you what'll happen! My mother is going to happen! When she finds why Katara's like this she'll have both our heads!" Sokka made multiple exaggerated hand gestures to simulate the frightening imagery of torture and beheading.

Lan clamped his hand to his neck and gulped. "Yikes, don't do that Sokka. I don't take such embarrassing death that well."

"Well, if we don't do something about this soon we'll probably have our heads decorated in flowers as they hang from pikes! And you!" Sokka turned his attention to Katara, but she didn't react.

"You haven't stopped moping ever since we came back from the surface! It's not as if you can even live with that stupid prince, so why not accept that and stop with the love angst!"

Katara's body shot up and her eyes turned to Sokka. "Sokka, I am not in love with him! (Those were just small feelings...) It's not him I'm moping about! It's the human world as a whole! There are so many things about it that I can learn from just going up there, but can I experience it? No! All my life, I've wanted nothing more than to experience the joys of the world above, but now I realize how impossible it is!"

"For good reason too," Sokka exclaimed. "You were born a mermaid to be a mermaid Katara! You think that you can just sprout legs whenever you want and walk up to the surface like some human? Well excuse me princess, but down here is your home!"

Lan then swam up to her and joined the conversation. "He's right Katara! You know as much about the human world as I do, (which is very little aside from what those nuts discuss with us.) "

"And what makes you think living under the sea could be any different from the human world? "

"There's plenty of reason why this place is better than the human world! Take a seat and listen to your brother for once!" Sokka pushed Katara down onto the rock. Then he started to give his own explanation in song...

_**Sokka: The seaweed is always greener**_  
><em><strong>In somebody else's lake<strong>_  
><em><strong>You dream about going up there<strong>_  
><em><strong>But that is a big mistake<strong>_  
><em><strong>Just look at the world around you<strong>_  
><em><strong>Right here on the ocean floor<strong>_  
><em><strong>Such wonderful things surround you<strong>_  
><em><strong>What more are you lookin' for?<strong>_

_**Under the sea**_  
><em><strong>Under the sea<strong>_  
><em><strong>Darling it's better<strong>_  
><em><strong>Down where it's wetter<strong>_  
><em><strong>Take it from me<strong>_  
><em><strong>Up on the shore they work all day<strong>_  
><em><strong>Out in the sun they slave away<strong>_  
><em><strong>While we devotin'<strong>_  
><em><strong>Full time to floatin'<strong>_  
><em><strong>Under the sea<strong>_

As Sokka song started to pick up pitch, Lan couldn't help but dance to the rhythm of the catchy beat. He picked up a bunch of half shells and placed them in a row. With a rhythm in his head, he began to drum them. Sokka followed up and joined Lan.

_**Sokka and Lan: Down here all the fish are happy**_  
><em><strong>As off through the waves they roll<strong>_  
><em><strong>The fish on the land ain't happy<strong>_  
><em><strong>Their sad 'cause they're in the bowl<strong>_  
><em><strong>But fish in the bowl are lucky<strong>_  
><em><strong>They in for a worser fate<strong>_  
><em><strong>One day when the boss get hungry<strong>_  
><em><strong>Guess who's gon' be on the plate?<strong>_

_**Sokka: Under the sea**_  
><em><strong>Under the sea<strong>_  
><em><strong>Nobody beat us<strong>_  
><em><strong>Fry us and eat us<strong>_  
><em><strong>In fricassee<strong>_  
><em><strong>We what the land folks loves to cook<strong>_  
><em><strong>Under the sea we off the hook<strong>_  
><em><strong>We got no troubles<strong>_  
><em><strong>Life is the bubbles<strong>_  
><em><strong>Under the sea<strong>_  
><em><strong>Lan: Under the sea<strong>_  
><em><strong>Since life is sweet here<strong>_  
><em><strong>We got the beat here<strong>_  
><em><strong>Naturally<strong>_  
><em><strong>Sokka: Even the sturgeon an' the ray<strong>_  
><em><strong>They get the urge 'n' start to play<strong>_  
><em><strong>Both: We got the spirit<strong>_  
><em><strong>You got to hear it<strong>_  
><em><strong>Under the sea<strong>_

They both noted that the song was working! Katara's tail was moving to the rhythm of the song. It kept moving more and more, as fish of different sorts began to join into the fun. Now even Sokka and Lan were falling under the spell of the song. They picked up the pace even further. Soon, the entire sea seemed to be aglow with light.

Soon Katara was up and about; her original gloomy face was less stressed than before. She even broke a smile every now and then. Sokka and Lan winked to one another and began another verse of their song.

_**Sokka: The newt play the flute**_  
><em><strong>Lan: The carp play the harp<strong>_  
><em><strong>Sokka: The plaice play the bass<strong>_  
><em><strong>Both: And they soundin' sharp<strong>_  
><em><strong>Lan: The bass play the brass<strong>_  
><em><strong>Sokka: The chub play the tub<strong>_  
><em><strong>Lan: The fluke is the duke of soul<strong>_  
><em><strong>Fluke: (Yeah)<strong>_  
><em><strong>Sokka: The ray he can play<strong>_  
><em><strong>Lan: The lings on the strings<strong>_  
><em><strong>Sokka: The trout rockin' out<strong>_  
><em><strong>Lan: The blackfish she sings<strong>_  
><em><strong>Sokka: The smelt and the sprat<strong>_  
><em><strong>Lan: They know where it's at<strong>_  
><em><strong>Sokka: An' oh that blowfish blow-o-o!<strong>_

As the song was getting ever closer to its climax, as fate would have it, Toph and Suki had arrived. Both were really enamored in the song and longed to join the fun, but both of them knew that they had to find Katara. They had heard Sokka and Lan singing so they were positive that Katara had to be here.

They saw her dancing by the rock; a beaming grin was riding her face. They swam over to her and gave her a slight tap on the shoulder. Katara looked in surprise and shook her head, as if snapped out of trance.

When Katara asked what they were both doing here, they only said that they had a surprise to show her. They then pulled her away from the party with eager grins across their faces.  
>Neither Lan nor Sokka noticed this though. They had been absorbed by the song's catchy tune and were unable to escape. Now they were in the final verse and ready to bring out a grand finale!<p>

_**Under the sea**_  
><em><strong>Under the sea<strong>_  
><em><strong>When the sardine<strong>_  
><em><strong>Begin the beguine<strong>_  
><em><strong>It's music to me<strong>_  
><em><strong>What do they got? A lot of sand<strong>_  
><em><strong>We got a hot crustacean band<strong>_  
><em><strong>Each little clam here<strong>_  
><em><strong>know how to jam here<strong>_  
><em><strong>Under the sea<strong>_  
><em><strong>Each little slug here<strong>_  
><em><strong>Cuttin' a rug here<strong>_  
><em><strong>Under the sea<strong>_  
><em><strong>Each little snail here<strong>_  
><em><strong>Know how to wail here<strong>_  
><em><strong>That's why it's hotter<strong>_  
><em><strong>Under the water<strong>_  
><em><strong>Ya we in luck here<strong>_  
><em><strong>Down in the muck here<strong>_  
><em><strong>Under the sea!<strong>_

The final notes were like the boom of thunder as they were released. Lan and Sokka smiled and began to cheered in praise of themselves.

Sokka smiled and waved to the fish who participated. "Thank you! Thank you! We do shows on weekends!"

Lan bowed to everyone with satisfaction. "We appreciate your help fellas! So what did you think of that Ka-" Lan's eyes bulged when he noticed Katara was gone. He looked to the left, the right, up, down, and couldn't find a trace of her.

"Sokka... where's Katara?"

Sokka's mouth dropped when he saw Katara was missing as well. He chuckled at first, before falling into masses of gibberish. All the other fish noticed this too and left with many sighs.

Lan held a pitiful grin on his face as everyone began to clear out. "Oh come on guys, the party isn't over yet! **Under the sea! Under the—**man, not even the bold helps..."

Soon Lan and Sokka were left alone in the area. They turned to one another and fell to the sea floor with sighs.

"Lan..."

"Sokka...?"

"You know what Katara needs more than advice?"

"Humor me then. What?"

"Her fins nailed to the floor..."

"For once, I agree..."

They collectively sighed as they rested their heads on their hands. Before either could be silent for long though, they heard a voice call their names. They were then confronted by a merboy holding a message in his hands. He then opened it and began to read what was inside:

"You two are to attend to the queen as swift as possible! She wishes to discuss with you on Princess Katara's state." With that the boy threw the letter away and swam as fast as he could.

Sokka and Lan were left with their mouths hanging wide and in silence. They suddenly pointed their heads upwards and screamed. Their screams echoed far enough to be heard on the surface, confusing and frightening many sailors. Rumors even persist that their screams caused an avalanche somewhere.

Sokka fell into a gibbering panic and began to shake Lan violently. "What do we do? She knows, that's got to be it! We're going to have our heads cut off and served to sharks while our bodies are decorated with veggies so children can make bad puns of us! I can hear them now: "Oh look at that merman! He's a little green around the gills!""

In the middle of his rant, Sokka was accidently smacked by Lan's nose and forced to let go in pain. Lan spun in dizziness before snapping himself out of it.

"Ok, ok, let's not panic! I am sure there is a reason for this. Let's just go and see how the situation plays out, then we can panic!"

Sokka nervously nodded in agreement. They then swam over to the palace, hoping that the Queen would be in good spirits.

"What is taking them so long!" Kya's face was dark red as she fidgeted in her throne.

Kya had been waiting three hours for Lan and Sokka, but neither showed up. With Katara's state still lingering in her thoughts, this situation easily put her out of temper. The only thing that stopped her from going out to find them was that she feared what Katara would think if she was there.

Match kept to her side at all times but didn't stop her from venting her anger. He was annoyed by Sokka and Lan's lack of punctuality as well. He almost considered going out to find them himself but felt such a trip would be a waste of time.

"Forgive me your majesty, if I had known they would be this sloppy I would have sent The Kyoshi."

"No Match, it's not your fault. If anything, this adds to my growing suspicion that they're hiding something. Still, the Kyoshi would definitely aid in making this search easier. I'll inform them myself. Stay here in case they arrive."

Match bowed his head as Kya left the room. As she passed through the initial hallway to the throne room, she heard the faint sounds of voices.

With caution she ducked behind a pillar and listened to their conversation.

"Ready to go in yet?"

"No; you?"

"Me neither."

Kya recognized the voices. They were Sokka's and Lan's! She almost considered going out and unleashing her fury, but decided against it when she thought of the opportunity this presented. True; it wasn't very queen-like to eavesdrop, but it did give her the chance to find out interesting information.

Sokka's squeal was the first voice she heard. "Of all the things that has to happen to me this had to be one of them!"

"Yea, hard to believe one rescue could lead to this mess."

"What? How is it hard to believe? This is your fault in the first place you overgrown ice-cube!"

"My fault? In what way in this my fault? (Oh, and don't think I didn't catch that, jerk.) If anything, this is your fault! I went after her when she darted off like, that while you stayed behind, shivering in place."

"Yea, and that look of excitement in your eyes when you charged on after her was very concerned! You should have been there to help discourage this behavior anyways!"

"I was just trying to let her stretch her mind! How was I to know a human ship would pass by the grotto and cause Katara to be fixated on that human? Don't forget that storm!"

Kya heard enough by then. She revealed herself from her hiding place, but neither of them noticed her. They both had their backs to one another and their eyes shut. Kya then hovered over them to grab their attention.

"What human ship?"

They didn't notice that it was her though. They only looked to one another with stunned eyes.

"The one from the other night you idiot!"

They reverted to their original positions again, before their eyes bulged open. They shivered and looked to one another; not bearing to gaze at Kya.

"Sokka..."

"Lan...?"

"I have a hunch we just said something bad to the wrong person."

"You know. I have a similar hunch."

"Then pray that we're both wrong."

They gulped and slowly turned their heads to Kya. She had been crossing her arms in annoyance and her face darkened red. She then snatched them with her waterbending and dragged them to the throne room for, intense interrogation.


	8. Power of Suggestion

Power of Suggestion

In a quiet part of the sea, Katara was being led to her grotto by Suki and Toph. They kept ahead of her and would constantly giggle. Whenever Katara asked then why they were taking her there, they would immediately shut up, as if she wasn't there.

It was fortunate that Katara had been cheered up earlier that day, because if she was still in that rotten mood she would have stopped right there and gone back in frustration. The song had raised her spirits enough to be patient with Toph and Suki, even if the wait was aggravating.

When they reached the grotto, Katara opened the door with her waterbending and was led inside by Toph and Suki. They asked her to close her eyes as they approached the grotto and Katara reluctantly did so. Her patience was starting to wear thin as the magical effects of the song were echoing out of her ears.

"Ok Katara," whispered Suki. "You can open them now!"

Katara raised her lids slowly; everything was slightly blurred, but nothing seemed out of place. Then something caught her eyes; something new to her collection. It started as a faint blob of grey, but slowly started to gain definition. Fine details revealed themselves, and shades started to edge out. That's when Katara recognized it: the statue of Zuko from the other night!

Katara's eyelids jumped open in shock, and her jaw seemed to fall with a clank. She had never expected to see the statue again, but it was right there!

Suki and Toph swam before her and cheered to the top of their lungs. "Surprise Katara!"

Katara was left almost speechless if not breathless; the words were nearly lost to her tongue. "I-I, I don't know what to say guys!"

"Well you can say, "thank you Suki", she's the one who found the thing! I just brought it here." Toph stretched her hand to Suki and smiled at the blushing mermaid.

Katara turned her head to both of them slowly before fixing her gaze upon the statue. Every feature, every detail of Zuko was carved to near perfection. Everything that was lovely about him was there, all except for one thing.

She swam up to the statue and got a closer look at its face. It was stern as stone with confidence and determination. That wasn't the Zuko, Katara had adored though.

While this Zuko looked handsome and courageous, he didn't seem like the frightened child Katara remembered. Indeed, this Zuko seemed to resemble a general leading his troops to victory, not the trapped dreamer that Katara had engraved into her mind.

Despite this disappointing factor, Katara couldn't help but feel... touched. It was almost as if something had awoken inside her, a feeling of guilt and longing combined to make an alien emotion that Katara couldn't trace.

Katara slowly turned her head to Suki and Toph, their faces still beaming with joy.

That's when it hit Katara; all this time since the passing of the storm, her friends had been by her side, while she had been sulking away into nothingness. She kept unaware of their toils and suffering, and only focused on herself and her selfish wants. Every attempt they made to make her happy, Katara would blindly snuff away; unwilling to accept the joy she felt, just because she believed that she could never be with Zuko.

Then this happened. Her best friends went to unknown leagues to find a human object to cheer her up, and brought back one of the most important ones.

Katara looked around her grotto and saw that it had changed; there were many new objects that she hadn't seen before. Katara's friends had gone for those too, all for her sake.

What seemed like an impossible dream before had started to seem more and more realistic as Katara looked around the grotto at every new object.

Katara's face slowly began to beam with joy. Her dream hadn't left her at all; it was still there all the time, but she had been so blind before that she was unable to see it. So long as her friends were there, nothing was impossible. They would be by her side at all times, and help her in any way they could.

Then Katara thought of Zuko, and those loving eyes which seemed nearer than ever before. He would always be there, in that kingdom by the sea, and nothing, fins or no fins would change that.

So even if Katara could never be with him, she knew that he would be there, and that she could still watch him grow and mature. As for Katara, she would always have her friends by her side, sharing her laughter and her pain. It was Katara's duty to them, and herself, to continue to smile and be happy, so they could be happy with her.

She turned her head to the little hole at the top of her grotto and noticed that the sky had darkened, and a pale moon was shining through the water.

Then Katara turned herself to Toph and Suki, and gave a huge smile, the biggest she let out in weeks. All emotions flushed out of her as Katara swam to her friends and hugged them. "Oh, thank you guys... this really means a lot to me..."

They were silent for a moment before simultaneously whispering, "You're welcome Katara..."

All was silent for a while; the humming waves rippled through the grotto walls like billowing wind on a hot spring day.

The silence was then broken by the sounds of Katara's laughter, followed by Toph's and Suki's.

It started in low, then it started to grow, and in a short while, the entire grotto, nay, the entire valley echoed with their bellowing laughter. Their joy seemed almost uncontrollable as they just laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

Soon the laughing stopped, and the girls fell silent again, but they stilled smiled at one another.

Katara looked to Suki and Toph and placed a hand over their shoulders. "...Guys, I really want you to know how happy this made me; thank you so much!" They both smiled as Katara continued to speak.

"I also want you guys to know tha-_mother_!"

And like a flash, the joy stopped, and was replaced with shock and distress!

There she was, Katara's mother, floating in the shadows of the entrance to the grotto. Her mouth was hanging wide open, and her eyes were turning to every nook and cranny. She was holding her trident so tightly, that one could see her veins press to her skin.

Beside Katara's was Match, staring at her with great intent. His head seemed locked on her every move, but still paying attention to what was around it.

The sight that caught Katara's attention though, was her brother and Lan slinking behind her mother. They kept their heads down and fiddled with their fingers, being too ashamed to even look at Katara's reaction.

Then Katara affixed her gaze on her mother, and her mother's on her.

Suki and Toph swam out of the way and watched in silence as Katara's mother crept her way out of the shadows, and towards Katara. "...How long?"

Katara didn't respond; she only bit her lip in anxiety.

Kya repeated the same question, but with a stronger voice and more words. "How long, have you kept this from me, Katara?"

Katara tried to answer, but no words could escape her mouth. She was trapped in a confusing swirl of shock, fear, and betrayal, unable to grasp any sensible words in the common language.

As Katara continued to pursue silence, her mother's face intensified. It turned from horrified shock to stone-hard stern in what seemed like a matter of seconds. Even her voice had grown with a horrible maliciousness. "You try my patience Katara! When I ask you a question, you answer! _How long have you hidden this from me?_"

Her voice seemed to boom with a bellowing fury, shaking the very foundations of the ocean floor.

Katara found herself unable to hold back any longer; her voice trembled and let out a frightened squeak. "Eleven years..."

Her mother's hard gaze didn't falter an inch, instead, it only hardened even further! "For that long, you've been playing me like a fool!"

"No mother, I don't think you're a fool!" Katara desperately grasped at whatever she could to keep the conflict from escalating.

"It's just that-"

Her mother didn't give her a chance to finish. "Just what? Just that you don't trust me? Just that you hate me? Just that you feel it's funny? I could go on forever! So just what?"

Katara's words slowly became inaudible to the point that it sounded like random gibberish. "..."

"_Just What?"_

Then Katara's words burst into a bawling shout. "It's just that you wouldn't have understood!"

Her mother's mouth seemed to twist and grind in a confused fury as she tried to grasp Katara's words. It was like watching a person wriggle in place as they tore their skin off. "_W-w-wouldn't have understood? _You think I wasn't a teenager before? You think I've never felt the sudden urge to disobey my parents? Just like you had the deathly nerve to go and rescue a human from drowning!"

Katara gasped and turned her head towards Lan and Sokka again. They seemed to have shrunken as they quickly averted their gazes.

Something had snapped in Katara at that point. The friends that she had started to ease towards had betrayed her trust, and left her to fend for herself. This left Katara saddened, confused, and in inner pain. Most of all though, she was very, very angry.

Katara turned to face her mother once more, only then, she had her eyes stern with anger. "He would have died, mother, but I don't expect you'd care!"

Her mother noted this defiance, but stood her ground. "Why would I? He's just another human, just like all the others! Spineless, savage, harpooning fish eaters, incapable of any feelings!"

"You should look to yourself for that, you hag! You wouldn't understand a human if one came up to you and smacked you with every bit of knowledge they had!"

"And just what makes you so knowledgeable eh? What is it about this human that makes him different from all the rest? Tell me that!"

"I love him!" Katara snapped out of her trance and clamped her hands to her mouth, but it was too late.

Her mother's eyes seemed to just bulge out of their sockets in confused distress. Even Katara's friends, whom knew the situation by heart, were astonished at this mark of bravery and bluntness.

Katara watched her mother's body part fidget one by one until her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. Whether it was out of rage or confusion, Katara dared not guess. "...Have you lost your senses completely? He's a human, and you're a mermaid!"

"Human or not, I could relate to him better than I ever could you!"

Silence came once more.

"You...you!" The words just couldn't leave though. Katara's mother was left in utter shock. Even Katara couldn't help but wince at the harshness of her own comment.

Then Katara's mother stopped her struggle. Her head lowered, and her eyes fell to darkness. All she could utter were a few saddened whispers. "... You wish to forsake me then..."

For a moment, there was silence. It was a horrible ungodly silence that creeps up on you whenever something feels wrong, yet you can never put your finger on it. You're only left pondering, and dreading whatever may come to you.

Then, Kya raised her head to reveal that her face had dulled, and her eyes were closed shut. "...So be it Katara; I hereby renounce you as my daughter. I never want to see you in my palace again."

Everyone else was left with eyes open and fallen jaws. Even Katara was taken aback by the sudden revelation, but she didn't falter. She stayed upright and firm.

"...Know this however: as a citizen, you have broken my laws, multiple times at that! Therefore, there is only one thing I can do for such an offense... execute firm punishment..." Her mother's final words hummed in a tone drier than a desert in summer.

Suddenly, the trident her mother kept close to her began to glow an eerie blue light. It emanated a chilling radiance, but sparked with a violent fury. The entire grotto was soon coated in a blue hue, and the darkness of the night parted in the wake of the light.

For the first time since the conversation started, Match moved from his position and began to plead to Kya with a trembling voice of desperation. "Wait your majesty, don't do this! I know you're angry, but this isn't the answer! You'll regret this choice forever if you let your rage overcome you! _Your majesty!"_

She wasn't listening though; Katara's mother was lost in another world.

Suddenly her eyes shot open to reveal that her pupils were now bright blue. And with a roar unlike any in the world, Kya swung her trident to one of the many shelves of the grotto and fired a massive blue bolt.

The bolt flashed across the room with an ear shattering crack, and burst upon impact with the human objects. Each one fell to pieces one by one, as the lighting tore into their very materials, and set off a chain reaction of short bursts.

Match backed away from Kya and let out a final scream. "You're losing control, your majesty! You've got to stop it!"

His words were quickly drowned by more bolts erupting from the trident. Shelf after shelf was slowly destroyed by the awesome power of the trident.

Katara's eyes bulged in shock, but upon the third bolt she swam to her mother and began to plead desperately. "Mother, no, please, stop! Mother please stop it!"

It seemed like nothing could reach her ears, as Katara's mother continued her rampage of utter destruction.

Then, when there was nothing else left, Katara's mother slowly affixed her gaze on the one thing she had left intact... the statue of Zuko.

She raised her trident once more and let it slowly charge up for one final bolt.

Katara clawed at her mother's arm and continued to struggle, but it was no use. Her arm was as stiff as a rock and would not budge, no matter how much Katara tried. All Katara could do was watch, and beg with weakened whispers.

"Please mother..."

A light shone on the tip of the trident, eerie and powerful.

"Don't do it..."

Her mother's arm jerked violently, and let loose the charging blast with awesome speed, and power.

Katara let loose her final scream. "Mother!_ No!"_

The bolt came and went quickly, and the statue was no more.

When the blue aura cleared the grotto was in shambles, and all that was once beautiful was destroyed.

Katara shuddered a bit as she looked to her destroyed collection, then she collapsed on the floor, sinking her head into the comfort of her open arms.

Her mother's eyes returned to their normal state, and her expression softened. She then fainted in exhaustion, with only the cold water to catch her.

Katara did not notice her mother slowly raise her head to look at what she did. What former confidence and anger she had before melted away as she basked in her deed. Her breathes shortened and sped in an almost uncontrollable manner as she turned to face her daughter.

Then, without warning, Katara's mother swam out of the grotto with panicked eyes and shuddering gasps, leaving only Katara and her friends alone in the ever advancing darkness...

**ooo**

When Kya left the grotto, she stopped just outside to catch her breath and recollect herself.

Kya couldn't believe that she could have ever been that angry; it was as if she had been taken over by a new, more violent, persona. Perhaps it was Katara's defiance towards her, or the fact that she had fallen in love with a human, but something she did had awoken a deep rage. It was so deep, that Kya could barely even remember the words she said.

She pressed her hands to her face and sighed. There was nothing else she could do at that point anyways; the deed was done.

Then Kya noticed a figure laying on the wall beside her. It was Match; he had left grotto while she was in the midst of her rage, and had been waiting for her to come outside. His face was rock stiff, yet there was no anger to be seen, only a lingering disappointment.

"Well you have put your fin in it this time. I hope you are ready for whatever may come after this, but I can tell you now that it won't be pleasant." As he swam over to Kya she noted the stiffness of his body, and a tremble in the sounds of his voice. It was almost as if he was holding back tears.

His dark glasses shone with a glare unlike before. Its penetrating visor stung Kya at her heart. Yet, at the same time, Match's gaze resembled sadness and understanding.

Kya kept her posture though; she poised herself straight and held her head upwards. "Who are you to judge my actions?"

Match then turned away from her, sparing only a short glance behind. "Not a king, but a simple warrior. Not one born for greatness, but one who seeks to live his life. Most of all, I am a parent. I told you of my daughter, and what had dragged her away. Our actions now mirror one another, not in context but in principle. I had hoped you would follow a different path from me Kya, but it seems that no matter what the race, be they Giant, Merfolk, or Human, the bonds of a parent and a child are at their strongest."

"What are you getting at, Match?"

"What I am getting at is something I cannot say. I can no longer be with you Kya, or else this lesson won't reach its conclusion, be it for good or ill. You must now discover the consequences of your actions on your own. Goodbye."

The water around Match suddenly began to heat up immensely. Air bubbles began to form around him, eventually obscuring his entire body. When they cleared, Match was gone and Kya was alone. All that was left was a red heat stain on the ground, which soon faded away into the rock.

This action left Kya uneasy, and with a heavier heart than before. A lingering sense of guilt built up in her as she recalled the last words Match said.

She looked back to the cave and considered apologizing to Katara but decided against it. Now was not an opportune time. Kya could only go home and wait for Katara to return, hoping that she would be willing to listen to reason. At the very least, Kya hoped she would be willing to accept an apology.

**ooo**

As the discussion outside the grotto died away, the conflict inside was still occurring. Katara's head was face down to the ground, and her breath was skipping with mournful gasps.

Her friends watched over her for a few minutes with sorrowful gazes. The most disheartened ones were Sokka and Lan. Just looking at poor Katara had shattered their morale and self-confidence. They had betrayed Katara's trust, and in the end she was the only one punished for their actions.

They swam up to Katara in attempts to reconcile with her, but she passed a cold shoulder. "Get away from me."

Sokka and Lan looked to one another with guilty stares and sighed. They turned towards the entrance of the grotto and swam away with lowered heads.

Respecting Katara's wishes, Suki and Toph silently left as well. Soon, Katara was left alone.

All was quiet, except for the ripples of the waters which weaved past the objects with estranged whispers. Shadows soon began to creep in, transforming the once blue hue into a lonely grey.

Katara was now beyond broken. Her dreams of being part of the human world had been dashed by reality. When she was ready to accept that fact, she was betrayed by the friends whom, she convinced herself, would always stand by her side.

Darkness began to creep further and further inwards into the grotto, bathing Katara in a horrifying and chilling blanket of utter darkness.

Suddenly, a golden light materialized from the shadows, catching Katara's attention with its hypnotic rhythm. A second light appeared just beside it; more erratic than the first, and yet just as eerie.

Two pale lights shone brightly to her left, like a beam, illuminating her spot. To her right, the water stirred and boiled under the influence of some immense heat.

The mysterious figures in the dark made their ways out of the shadow to reveal themselves to her. One was a mermaid with raven-like hair, but her tail more resembled an eels. There was a similar looking eelmaid to her left, but she had brown hair instead of black, and it was braided into a long ponytail behind her head.

The other two were human-like, but different in certain aspects. One man was cloaked completely in black, and had no eyes in his head, only empty sockets. The other man was garbed in dirty brown robes and a hood. His face had a nose which reminded Katara of Lan's but the difference was that it was more hook-like in appearance.

The robed human constantly fiddled with his beaming eyes, turning them on Katara in a menacing manner. "It's a pitiful thing to be denied a dream." His voice was smooth, but grew progressively deeper as he spoke, like seeping poison.

Suddenly the braided eelmaid appeared from above Katara, and brought her face uncomfortably close to Katara, startling her. "Yeah, losing dreams always sucks." This eelmaid always had a mischievous smile on her face and a voice as cheery as a child's.

The cloaked man then grabbed Katara's attention by bowing to her in a subtle and stiff manner. "A dream's death is a terrible dishonor." His voice was soothing, yet regaled and controlled in tone; all background echo disappeared when he when he finished his sentences, as if by his will.

The raven haired eelmaid was the only one who kept her place, only moving to cross her arms. "Having a dream broken is a waste of time." This eelmaid's face was blank, and her mouth was just as; with a voice that was drier than surface sand.

Katara wanted to be stern and tell them to leave, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth. There was something about these four that unnerved her to the point that her voice trembled to even speak.

"W-who are you?" Those were all the words she was able to muster at that time.

The hooded man was the first to react to her words. He gave her an evil grin that seemed ready to rip out of his mouth, and his eyes gleamed with an even bright spark than before. "Representatives of one who works with dreams."

The braided eelmaid shoved him aside quickly. "And to happy ends!"

"One who makes many deals." As the raven-haired eelmaid followed, she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

The cloaked man followed after her with a solemn frown across his face. "Without stretching less than one gap."

Then they all pointed upwards to the surface with mannerisms befitting statues.

"The illustrious," said the cloaked humanoid.

"But fallen," continued the dark haired eelmaid.

"The wise," spoke the robed humanoid.

"But weird," exclaimed the braided eelmaid.

Katara was left in stupefied confusion. These people were speaking in riddles that gave no hints or leads. It was as if they were purposely messing with her to pique her interest. It worked.

"Who are you talking about?" Katara increased the confidence behind her voice slightly, so as not to seem childish.

"Azula." They all spoke quickly and simultaneously, not sparing a chance to wait.

Katara's heart began to race at the sound of that name.

Yes. Azula was a name she was not ready to forget, for it was the name of the very woman who attempted to assassinate her mother long ago. Though Katara didn't know the whole story, she knew well enough to know that Azula was a very dangerous, and powerful person, who's name still carried this lingering fear to it.

With the revelation of their master, Katara was left very uncomfortable by the people around her. They were most obviously Azula's minions, sent to collect her for some unknown purpose. It would have been wise for her to fight her way past them and to escape, yet she didn't.

Something about those four compelled her to stay. Though their demeanors and history spoke ill, their words rung smoothly in her ears. It was a hypnotic smoothness that drew her towards them and made Katara feel as if they really meant what they said.

They called Azula, "one who works with dreams," and, "one who makes many deals." Those were titles that really grabbed Katara's interest.

Did that mean that Azula would help her plight, or simply lead her into a trap? Katara was unsure which answer was truth, and she was too disoriented from the trauma earlier to think straight.

As Katara was left to thought, she heard the voice of the robed humanoid speak to her. "Pathetic isn't it?"

She looked toward him, unsure how to take that phrase. "Excuse me?"

He smiled, opened his arms and span his body around. "This place." He spoke as if he were singing to a stage.

Suddenly, the voice of the cloaked humanoid caught Katara's attention. "I would suppose this little cavern was a magnificent staple for your dreams until you were robbed of them so quickly."

Then Katara was confronted by the braided eelmaid again, only that time she was right-side-up. "Then your mom just comes in and blows the whole place up like a miniature volcano; Kaboo-boo-boom!"

"And your friends did an excellent job leading her here."

Katara looked around, and noted the truth behind their words. Her collection, once the pride and joy of her adventures, was now a rotting pile of shattered junk on the ocean floor.

Who was to blame for the destruction? Her mother! Her so-called friends! They were all to blame. Katara's sadness had transitioned to rage as she looked to her collection more and more. At the time, she built up so much rage, she had completely forgotten that Toph and Suki weren't involved in the discovery of her grotto.

After taking her time to take in her anger, Katara softened her expression, and looked up to the four strangers. "Could Azula really help me?"

The braided eelmaid was the first to respond; speaking in the same irregular riddles as before. "It depends on your definition of help!"

"It can turn either way unless both buyer and seller work in unity."

"It's a waste of time to guess," duly noted the dark haired eelmaid.

"Don't spend too much of your time thinking, as it's only a suggestion," replied the robed humanoid.

A suggestion. Yes; only a suggestion, yet there was more to that suggestion than any demand could command of her. Already Katara's mind worked around the idea that she had a chance to make her dreams come true. It was a now or never chance, and it seemed clear that it was the best solution of any.

Without hesitance, Katara rose from the floor and nodded to the four strangers. "I'll go."

Their heads turned towards one another and they nodded simultaneously. Then, they each spoke their respective titles.

"Spark!"

"Ty Lee!"

"Mai."

"Flame."

Spark was the last one to speak. "Those are our names. Now follow us."

Without any other words they all began to leave the grotto. Katara followed them without further question.

**ooo**

Outside the grotto Sokka and Lan were on the receiving end of a scolding from Suki and Toph.

Toph had her hands clenched in fists, but kept them to her side so that she didn't hit the two. "How could you idiots blab? Suki and I had finally gotten Katara in a good mood and then you two came in and ruined it all!"

Sokka's face was twisted with sadness but no tears came from his eyes. "We didn't mean to hurt her; it was an accident!"

Lan's hands were pressed to his face, and his voiced cracked multiple times. "We were having an argument and we didn't even know the Queen was there!"

Toph and Suki wanted to say more, but they only sighed. They realized that there was no point beating up on the two further for what was an accident.

"Well now we've got to think of a new way to cheer Katara up." Suki crossed her arms and sighed with her eyes shut.

Toph brought her hands to her face and growled wildly. "Just forget it! If we show her another human object, she'll break out in more sobs! The only thing that could possibly cheer her up now is a... a miracle."

Suddenly, the area around the group darkened with shadow. They looked up to see a party of strange looking folk swimming overhead, blocking the incoming moonlight. They were initially going to dismiss them, but something suddenly caught their attention. There was someone in the group that seemed familiar to them.

It was Katara! She was in the middle of the formation. As she passed over, she didn't even seem to take notice of her friends below.

None of those other strangers were recognizable, so there was no reason for Katara to be with them. Then, Lan gave out a gasp and pointed to the two strangers with legs.

"Katara! Get away from them! They're servants of darkness!"

Katara didn't respond though. She only continued onwards, ignoring Lan's plea like as if he wasn't there.

They were all taken back by Katara's sudden coldness, but Sokka was the first to snap out of it and swim to his sister. "Katara? What's the matter? Where are you going?"

She only opened her eyes once to pass a glance to Sokka, but quickly turned away. "I'm going to see Azula..."

The mere mention of Azula's name left Sokka and the rest of the group stunned. Never had they believed that the situation would lead to such a conclusion. But, whether it was a choice of madness or despair, they all knew that it was a choice that would lead to an ill fate.

Sokka snapped out of his trance and grabbed Katara by the tail, attempting to reason with her. "Katara, no! You've heard the rumors! Azula is a demon; a monster!"

Lan swam up and offered his support to Sokka. "Katara, listen to him! You don't know what you're doing messing with the likes of them!"

Katara didn't reply to them however, instead she whipped her arms with as much force as she could muster. The power of her waterbending pushed both Lan and Sokka backwards and sent them hurdling into a nearby cliff.

"Keep your dirty noses out of my business! I don't want to have to do with any of you!" Katara raised her head high and turned away from her friends, following her snickering guides to wherever they were taking her.

Toph and Suki swam over to the Sokka and Lan and managed to wrench them out of the cliff. They watched as Katara slowly swam out of site, into the murky sea afar. Night was now in full swing, and the water was nearly inked in the mist of darkness.

"Lan, can you hear me? Say something!" Suki was shaking Lan violently back and forth in some hope he'd respond.

Lan weakly raised his head and put one hand to his nose. "… Does it have to be dirty now?"

Suki frowned and smacked him on the back of the head. "Well, he's alright."

"No time for shaking, wake up Sokka!" Toph raised her fists and relentlessly beat Sokka awake.

Sokka sputtered and stirred as the pain rained down upon his face. "T-T-T-oph! I-I-I'm a-wa-wa-ke! St-stop!"

Toph smacked him one last time before letting him go. "That one was for good measure."

Then she turned to the direction where Katara had disappeared, and urged the others with hand gestures. "Come on, we can't let Katara go and do something stupid! This way!"

Everyone nodded and followed Toph's lead. She led the way as they made their daring journey forwards. They were swimming towards the unknown for the sake of their friend, leaving behind all that happened before in the mist of the night.

**ooo**

**Time hastens; feelings erupt, and a change is to be made.**

**Stay tuned next Friday for the final chapter in Act 1:**

**Breaking Water!**


	9. Breaking Water

**Breaking Water**

Through dark waters and black landscapes, Katara kept a steady pace with her guides. The sun did not shine, and the terrain was jagged and menacing. Mountains as sharp as spears dotted the landscape. There were abysses that seemed to go on forever into the bowels of darkness. Distrustful eyes seemed to always be watching Katara, no matter how many times she turned to see nothing there. This entire place was horrible.

Azula's minions described the path they were on as the only safe one and urged Katara to not stray. If she did, she would be left to her own peril. It was because of this Katara stayed close to them, never slowing her pace in fear of what may come after her. She couldn't help but wonder why live here if it was so dangerous.

When she asked that same question to the one known as Mai, her reply was, "Because it's the most convenient place, though nothing really happens for us."

"Azula is the master of this land, remember that," remarked Flame, not turning his head towards her.

Spark turned an evil eye towards Katara and gave a slight growl. "We just don't feel like going through the hassle of finding you if you get lost."

"You'd have to be pretty silly to wander off in a place like this anyway." Ty Lee was swimming backwards with a childish grin on her face.

Katara couldn't help but feel like she was being talked down to but bore with it. Azula's minions did know the area better than she did and it was probably normal to be annoyed by such things. Katara would ask no questions after that. She was a fish out of water, and she knew that it was better to follow orders. To do otherwise would meet demise.

Katara's friends had been following her for the entirety of the chase, but were seriously lagging behind. They had to stop multiple times to catch their bearings, but they still managed to barely keep up. They had just reached the entryway of Azula's domain when they had gotten lost. All signs of Katara and her "guides" had disappeared into the distance.

Sokka peered at the surrounding area with nervousness. "Where do we go now?"

"Perhaps we could go higher to get a better view." Lan was grasping as many straws as he could, but was as unsure as the others.

Suki shuddered while they spoke their plans. "I fear going anywhere here. There's something about this place that disturbs me to no end."

Toph had kept silent for the entire time, then she point her left hand forwards. "This way! Five people in a group makes for a very noisy ripple trail. Come on!"

The others didn't have time to question Toph, as she swam away almost instantaneously. Even if the trail was large, it could still be disrupted by something, so Toph didn't want to waste time. So the others speed after her, trusting in her abilities.

Katara found herself going even deeper in to the bowels of Azula's territory. Right now she was being led through a dark cavern with only the light of Mai and Ty Lee's eyes keeping her from losing herself. She could see light come from the end of the tunnel, and she and the group were outside again.

Now they were inside a large plateau surrounded by jagged walls. The plateau was empty aside from the bones of ancient fish and humans. There was one point of interest though; there was a large skeleton of an ancient beast in the middle of the plateau.

Ty Lee then swam in front of Katara's face with a grin." If you're wondering, the wall is to keep jerks out."

Spark rolled his eyes at Ty Lee's silliness. "Or keep some in."

Mai simply swam ahead with the same monotone expression. "No one finds or searches for this place unless they're broken."

Flame dropped his head down and gave a sigh. "Or unless they're incredibly brave."

They led Katara through the graveyard with great haste. They did not slow their pace until they had finally reached the creature's maw. It always hung open, beckoning entry into its body. From the inside, Katara could hear the faint sounds of moans and crying, halting her in fear.

Azula's minions only turned once to say, "This way," and then turned around once more, disappearing into the mouth of the skeleton.

Katara took a deep breath and slowly swam in after them. The inside of the skeleton had hardened walls that prevented most outside light. Still, Katara could see a dim one up ahead, and kept up a steady pace.

Then Katara stopped to behold a horrifying sight. There were thousands of polyps decorating the floor and ceiling. They would let out horrifying cries as they watched Katara approach. She then turned her head in disgust and attempted to move on. Their pale yellow eyes gaze up to her, unblinking, and frightened.

Without warning, one of the polyps grabbed hold of Katara's wrist. Its cold green skin brushed upon her, chilling her to the bone. It then began to yank her downwards to the other polyps, which began to slither their way to her.

Horrified, Katara used her Waterbending to push the creature away. She then swam as fast as she could away from them. Eventually their numbers dwindled and Katara felt she could relax. Still, she could hear their cries coming from behind her, echoing away in futility.

A voice bellowed from the inner sanctum. "Ah, my fiendish four have returned. Hmm, I see you also brought a customer."

Katara swam further inside to find the main hall. It was an area with a large cauldron in the middle, a large shell to the back that was sided by a large shelf of potions, and a vanity to the side. Azula's minions were also there, blankly looking at Katara as she shied in the doorway.

A black tentacle stuck out from the shell and gestured her closer. "Come in; come in my child. We mustn't lurk in others doorways. It is rude and provokes the question of your upbringing. One haughtier than me may think you as an intruder."

Soon, another tentacle stuck itself out, followed by many more. Soon a body revealed itself. It was a young girl, who seemed no older than Katara. She had dark hair that was in a bun, aside from two bangs to the front of her face. She had a golden nautilus shell necklace hanging from her neck.

The girl dropped from the shell with stunning grace."I know that my demeanor is a tad youthful, but let me assure you that I am much older than you. My beauty along with my cunning goes to show for that."

Azula then turned away from Katara and swam towards her vanity. She took a seat while humming an odd tune, reaching for shampoos. She then unclipped her hair and spread the concoctions on it.

Azula looked to Katara's reflection from her mirror and passed an eerie grin to it. "I understand that you have a fascination with the human world do you not?"

Katara was slightly taken back by the sudden question, but held the courage to reply. "Y-yes."

Azula quickly shaped her head back to its previous state while keeping her eyes peeled onto the reflection of Katara. "But recently, you've also fallen for a very handsome human prince."

"Well, I wouldn't say that I've fallen for him..." Katara blushed as she tried to reply, which came out more as mumbling than speaking.

"Oh come now, dear angelfish. I know about your confrontation with your dear mommy, and the argument you had with her. The subject of your love for him just happened to come up in your conversation."

Azula then grabbed a small plant growing from her vanity and squeeze it with her fingers. A red substance appeared from the plant as she applied pressure. She then used it as a substitute for normal lipstick to paint hers a bright red. She smacked her lips together in front of the mirror, checking her appearance with a vain smile.

Katara couldn't help but feel a little disturbed by Azula. She seemed so casual to her troubles as if they were an everyday occurrence. Her minions did say that she worked with dreams though, so it was perchance that she was used to this.

"It's obvious with how we need to deal with this problem isn't it my princess? In order to get what you want, you're going to have to become human yourself."

"Can you do that?"

Azula smiled wickedly and turned to face Katara. "Of course my dear, I am a woman of many talents dedicated to serving the poor merfolk who come to me. Troubled with their lives and on their last fin, they come to me." As she spoke she continued to draw in closer to Katara, unveiling a surprising height compared to Katara.

"Let me give you a sample of what I can do…" She then cleared her throat, and began to sing…

_**I admit that in the past  
>I've been a nasty.<br>They weren't kidding when they called me,**_

_**well, a witch.  
>But you'll find that nowadays<br>I've mended all my ways  
>Repented,<strong>_

_**seen the light,  
>And made a switch,<br>True? Yes!**_

Azula then made her way to her cauldron in the middle of the hall. With a sleight of hand, she brought forth two apparitions from the bubbling mixture. Both of them were visions of disfigured merfolk, one male and one female.

_**And I fortunately know a little magic,  
>it's a talent that,<br>I have learned to possess.  
>And here lately, please don't laugh,<br>I use it on behalf,  
>Of the miserable,<br>lonely,  
>and depressed.<strong>_

She then looked toward her minions and mutered, "Pathetic." They giggled and nodded in agreement.

_**Poor Unfortunate Souls,  
>In pain, in need<br>This one longing to be thinner  
>That one wants to get the girl<br>And do I help them?  
>Yes indeed!<strong>_

Azula quickly snapped her fingers and the two images became two attractive looking merfolk. This had Katara agape in joy of what Azula could do for her.

Little did either of them know that Katara's friends managed their way into Azula's lair. They kept on the trail before it could disappear and were eventually led here. They now passed the garden of polyps, frightened and disgusted.

_**Those Poor Unfortunate Souls,  
>So sad<br>So true  
>They come flocking to my cauldron<br>Crying "Spells, Azula, please!"  
>And I help them?<br>Yes, I do.**_

Now it's happened once or twice  
>Someone couldn't pay the price<br>And I'm afraid I had  
>To rake 'em 'Cross the coals!<p>

Azula stuck out her right hand to the merfolk, expecting payment. The merfolk though, looked to her with confusion. Azula then swiped her arm in front of them, creating two vortexes around the merfolk. Once within, they began to shrink downwards until they both emerged as polyps. Katara gasped and looked towards the entrance where she came from and shivered.

_**Yes, I've had the odd complaint,  
>But on the whole I've been a saint,<br>To those Poor Unfortunate Souls!**_

Azula used one of her suction cups to drag Katara closer to her and began to state her terms.

"Now then, if you want be human then you're going to have to take my deal." She then used a tentacle to direct Katara's head towards her cauldron.

"Now take note of this as I'm only going to say this once. I am going to make you a potion that will turn you human for only four days. Now within those four days you need to find your prince and get him to fall in love with you. For specifics sakes, he's got to kiss you with a special kiss, the one of true love." Images on the cauldron then began to appear in correspondence to her words, with four suns to signify the days, and a heart for the kiss of true love.

At this part of the deal, Katara's friends had made their way into the main chamber. Azula's minions took note of this and quietly slinked over to the entrance. Upon reaching the entrance, the two groups passed dirty glances to one another.

Spark then gave a queer grin to Lan and waved to him. "Hello Lan, you look as stupid as ever."

Lan raised his head in defiance and sniffed. "Spark, you still have that ugly hook for a nose."

"And you can speak."

Toph then swam up to them with her fist raised. "Enough of this! Get out of our way or we're going to bash your heads in."

"That wouldn't be smart of you." Ty Lee rubbed her face in front of Toph's and blew bubbles to the blind mermaid.

Flame gave a hard glare to Toph and her friends."She's right in that regard. Your friend is a valid customer and it would be a shame to have to lose her. Of course, if you're so intent on barging through us, just know that her life hangs in the balance."

This threat had Katara's friends in a flux. Although Azula minions showed no sign of weapons at hand, or readiness to kill they still had this aura of truth to their words. All they were doing was looking to Katara's friends with silent smugness.

After that, the group stayed silent. They didn't want to test those evil words anytime soon. So all they could do was watch and hope Katara said no.

Azula was now in the middle of describing another portion of the bargain. "Now, if he does kiss you before the sun sets on the fourth day, you will be human permanently." The image of Katara as a human appeared in the cauldron to keep in touch with Azula's words.

"But if he doesn't, you turn back into a mermaid," smugly spoke Azula as Katara's image swiftly transformed into its mermaid state, and then finally being sucked into the cauldron. "By then, you will belong to me!"

Sokka couldn't stand it at this point. He swam slightly upwards and aimed to grab Katara's attention."Don't do it Katara! Don't be stupid!"

Before he could say anymore though, he was quickly silenced by Ty Lee wrapping her tail on his mouth with a lecherous smile.

Azula was slightly caught off guard by the appearance of these intruders, but pretended to take no notice. She instead, pressed the deal to Katara. "So is it a deal then?"

Katara hesitated her answer. Her friends sudden appearance had left her somewhat distraught of what to do next. "If I become human, then I'll never be with my family and friends again."

"That's right, but you'll have your man and your dream. Life's full of tough choices like that..."

Azula then began to sing once more…

_**Come on, I know you need a little magic,  
>And magic is my specialty du jour.<br>Don't just stand there looking sick.  
>Would I kid you?<strong>_

_**Play a trick?  
>Like I told you, I don't do that anymore.<strong>_

Azula quickly conjured up some flowers as she sung and handed them to Katara. She smiled at the lovely gift and took a sniff. Suddenly the flower deteriorated into disgusting things such as plankton, eyeballs, and what not. Katara had accidentally got some of the things stuck in her nose and began to panic as she tried to pick them out. Azula and her minions couldn't help but giggle, much to Katara's chagrin.

_**So I think you ought to take my little bargain  
>Yes, I think you ought to make my little deal<br>Sure, it's hard to leave your life  
>But you could be a prince's wife<br>Why don't you let me take that dream and make it real?**_

Azula then suddenly cast another spell on Katara. She blew a handful of white dust at her and conjured up a glowing wedding gown. Katara was amazed with how beautiful it looked. When she touched it though, the dress quickly became a thick ink cloud that surrounded Katara, causing her to sputter and cough. Even Katara's friends couldn't help but laugh this time around at the sheer silliness of it (aside from Toph who couldn't see what was happening).

_**Come on, you poor unfortunate soul  
>Poor child! Poor fish!<br>Aren't you glad you brought your problem  
>to a lady you can trust?<br>Won't you let me grant your wish?**_

Then Azula quickly began to wrap her tentacle around Katara and brought her closer. She then began to make dancing motions with her. Katara wanted to break herself free with Waterbending, but Azula's grip was incredibly strong. She was also getting too dizzy to concentrate on Waterbending, so instead she made sure to keep in sync with Azula so as to avoid being swung like a rag.

_**You poor unfortunate soul  
>Poor sweet! Poor dear!<br>Aren't you lucky that I'm ready  
>with a potion and a plan?<br>Aren't you glad you came and asked  
>If I could help you? And I can!<br>When a mermaid comes to Azula  
>She always gets her man.<br>You poor unfortunate soul!**_

As Azula finished her last lines she quickly let go of a lightheaded Katara and began to laugh. Her cackle ranged from across the hall with a chilling echo. Katara was a little annoyed at this point by Azula's cruel gags and quickly defended her from anymore tricks.

Azula then looked to Katara with a sick grin. "My dear, I've almost forgot. We haven't discussed the subject of payment, now haven't we? Nothing in this life comes free you know!"

"But I don't have any..." She was cut off by one of Azula's tentacles covering her mouth.

"Now I am not asking much, just a token. It's nothing important to you, really. I simply want your voice."

Katara was left stupefied as Azula's tentacle fled her mouth. The mere thought of giving up her voice seemed completely inane.

Katara tried to grasp some of her senses back to reply. "My voice, but why?"

"Of course, it's only necessary that you give something lesser to get something better."

"But without my voice, how can I-"

_**Azula: You'll have your looks!  
>Your pretty face!<br>And don't underestimate  
>The importance of<br>Body language!**_

Azula laughed as she swam upwards towards the shelf holding her potions. Each one was in different shapes and sizes. Some were even alive, gazing to Azula with eyes of fear. She simply winked at the potions and began to throw them into her cauldron.

_**The men up there don't  
>Like a lot of blabber<br>They think a girl who  
>Gossips is a bore.<br>Yes, on land it's much preferred  
>For ladies not to say a word<br>And after all, dear  
>What is idle prattle for?<strong>_

Come on!  
>They're not all that<br>Impressed with conversation!  
>True gentlemen avoid it when they can!<br>But they dote and swoon and fawn,  
>On a lady who's withdrawn!<br>It's she who holds her  
>Tongue who gets her man!<p>

Azula then brought some ingredients down to the cauldron for Katara to watch in horror as each creature fell inside the cauldron. Soon the entire lair was dancing with the colors, displaying ominous shadows and a frightening atmosphere.

Suddenly the image of Zuko came from Azula's cauldron, staring at Katara with his mystifying eyes. As Katara got closer to him though, his image burst to reveal Azula's face behind it, frightening Katara._  
><em>

_**Come on you poor unfortunate soul!  
>Go ahead!<br>Make your choice!  
>I'm a very busy woman<br>And I haven't got all day  
>It won't cost much,<br>Just your voice!**_

Azula swam closer to Katara and made a golden contract appear with a snap. The terms clearly stated, "I relinquish my voice unto Azula for all eternity for human legs. I also place my soul as the ante for a four day bargain. Should I succeed I shall be human for all eternity. Should I fail, I shall be in her possession for all eternity."

The rest was blank, with a slot for her to write her name down. A pen then materialized in front of Katara, almost goading her into signing.

_**You poor unfortunate soul  
>Its sad, but true!<br>If you want to cross a bridge  
>My sweet you've got to pay the toll!<br>Take a gulp, take a breath,  
>and go ahead and sign the scroll!<br>My Fearsome Four,  
>now I've got her kids!<br>The boss is on a roll!  
>This poor!<strong>_

_**Un-**_

_**Fortunate Soul!**_

The pressure was quickly building up in Katara's thoughts. Everything was going so quickly that she was unsure of how to do this. She looked to her friends and saw that they were all shaking their heads in disdain. Azula's minions on the other hand were nodding in agreement to the deal. Katara then looked to the contract and then frowned.

She quickly snatched the pen and wrote her name on the corner with haste. The contract had been completed, and a deal was now set in stone.

The parchment quickly flew back to Azula and disappeared in her grasp as she grinned in victory. She then looked towards her cauldron and began to wave her arms. Lights began to flare and burst out of the concoction, flying everywhere, engulfing Azula and Katara in a barrier. Azula then began to chant her spell:

_**Beluga sevruga  
>Come winds of the Caspian Sea<br>Larengix glaucitis  
>Et max laryngitis<br>La voce to me!**_

As Azula's spell hit its final words, two enormous apparitions of hands emerged from the cauldron and hovered above her head. Katara was so frightened that she wanted to swim away, but knew she couldn't. So she looked forward and held her courage.

Azula then commanded Katara, "Now sing!"

Katara obeyed and began to sing. She didn't know if it was Azula's magic or her realization that she'd never use her voice again, but for some reason, Katara's voice seemed more powerful than normal. It not only rang as a harmonious tune, but also as a booming orchestra of sounds that all mixed to make the most heavenly thing in the world. Her throat became aglow with a golden light unlike anything Katara had ever seen or felt.

Then Azula's hands came down to Katara as her voice began to reach its peak. She backed up a little, not wanting to be parted away from the power of her voice, but was halted by one of the hands. The other one dipped itself into her and came out holding the golden ball that was Katara's voice.

The hands greedily snatched the voice and brought it to Azula. Her face was wrapped around a victorious grin as the voice slowly came to her. She rose up her shell necklace and watched as the voice was placed inside. Its music felt as wonderful as she pressed it against her chest in glee.

When the singing died away, Azula burst into a fit of laughter as the cauldron began to erupt with smoke. Suddenly, a liquid vapor enwrapped Katara and raised her high up. A great pain wrought her veins; the lower portion of her felt like it was tearing itself apart, muscle by muscle. It was the most agonizing thing Katara ever felt, and she longed to scream, but found that she couldn't.

As Katara's friends watched in shock, they then noticed that Katara's tail soon began to shape itself into legs. Suddenly the vapor disappeared, leaving only a swiftly sinking Katara. They could not stand it anymore at this point. The group pushed their way through Azula's minions and grabbed Katara, dragging her upwards. Lan fired a shot of his lightning powers at the ceiling and created a gap, allowing the group to make way to the surface.

As they shot higher from the dark waters, they could hear the echoes of laughter trailing from below, haunting them...

**That's the end of Act 1 everyone! The fic is gonna go on a little break for a while, then get ready to see Act 2! Any questions about Act 2 should be PMed to me, and not put in the review box. Just leave the review box for reviews.**


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